


Painting By Number

by Nopes_R_Us



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Learning Disabilities, Mild Suicidal Thoughts, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, Teacher-Student Relationship, anna and kristoff are foster siblings, anna is dyslexic she doesnt know it yet, background Hans/Kristoff, cursing, elsa and rapunzel are cousins, non-related Elsanna, theres some NSFW thoughts/talks and there might be some smut later so ill tag it just in case, this is my first frozen fic go easy on me pls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22236577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nopes_R_Us/pseuds/Nopes_R_Us
Summary: Nobody knows how your soulmate gets chosen.Maybe it’s by the universe. Maybe it’s by fate. Maybe it’s by the lucky intern in heaven who gets to sit on a cloud all day, matching people together and sipping lemonade. But whatever you believe, everybody knows that your soulmate’s life is cosmically and irreversibly intertwined with your own.Anna has found her soulmate.It’s just too bad she has to keep it a secret from her.
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Anna/Elsa (Disney), Hans/Kristoff (Disney)
Comments: 159
Kudos: 469





	1. Prologue (Anna): Growing Pains

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy folks! This is my first ever Elsanna fanfic, and I'm really excited to share it with you! This chapter ended up being a lot longer than I thought it'd be, but whatever. This was just the prologue, I'll be posting the first chapter hopefully soon :)

**Prologue (Anna): Growing Pains**

Thunder rumbled from outside, rattling the window panes of the old condo. A cold front had come in recently, bringing with it high winds and freezing rain. Watching from her spot on the couch as the rain came down in sheets, Anna huffed.

She was bored. She clearly couldn’t go play outside, and the T.V. was broken again, so that left her with one other option:

Anna was three years old, and she was about to get up to some mischief.

No force of nature could stop the feisty, freckled girl when she got her mind set on something. And right now, her boredom-addled brain had decided that the most entertaining thing available was thievery.

Specifically, Anna had her sights set on the box of cigarettes on the kitchen countertop.

She definitely didn’t want to smoke them - no, they were gross and smelly - but she wanted to prove she could steal them without getting caught.

Cigarette smoke wafted in from the kitchen. Her dad, a portly man whose shirt seemed to perpetually be stained with sweat and grime, was at the kitchen table. His hair was several shades darker than the grey of his skin, and it hung limply around his face. His focus was entirely on the paper in front of him; something called the ‘crossword,’ it had several rows and columns of boxes, very few of which had letters in them. He had gruffly explained to Anna how it worked when she’d asked - apparently, words were supposed to fit into the boxes! - but got angry when she tried to help fill them out in crayon.

Anna hopped down from her perch on the musky sofa and crouched by the open entryway to the kitchen. The walls were blue, or so Anna had been told. She still wasn’t quite sure what ‘blue’ was, but every time she asked her parents about it, they just got frustrated. This ‘blue’ seemed to be the same shade as her favorite sweater, but no, that was apparently something called ‘orange’.

She crawled along the perimeter of the room, the sleeves of her ‘orange’ sweater pushed up around her elbows, only to freeze when her dad shifted in his seat. Luckily, he was only scratching his back, leaving Anna to let out a relieved breath as she continued shuffling along the floor. The condo had an open floor plan, so the young bandit didn’t have to worry about any doors giving her away.

Soon enough, the smokes were in sight. There they lay, atop a dish towel by the sink. Dirty dishes were piled up all around the basin. A pile of old plates sat next to the dish towel, teetering dangerously.

Here, Anna ran into a dilemma. If she stood to reach the cigs, she’d be right in her father’s line of sight, and she’d be spotted, for sure! But she couldn’t reach them from down on the floor… So how was she to acquire her prize?

She sat still for a moment, thinking the problem over, until a genius idea popped into her head: the dish towel! All she had to do was yank it down to the floor, and it would bring the box with it!

Satisfied with her plan and sure it needed no further thought or consideration, young Anna grabbed the bit of the rag that was hanging off the edge of the counter. As she pulled, however, something unexpected happened. Yes, the box of cigarettes came down, but so did the big pile of dishes.

Porcelain hit the ground with a loud _CRASH,_ shattering upon impact in big shards around Anna.

“Jesus Christ, _ANNA!"_

Uh oh. That was the Angry Voice. Anna scampered away from the crime scene, only to be caught by the scruff of her sweater.

“Anna Ruth Sobelman, what the fuck are you doing?”

“Um,” Anna bit her lip, eyes darting to the abandoned pack of cigarettes on the floor and the mess she’d created. “Was bored?”

The answer only seemed to make him angrier. “Fucking _christ,_ Anna-”

He hauled her up by the sweater, roughly guiding her over to the kitchen table where he plopped her down in the seat across from his. He extinguished his cigarette, slamming it into the wood of the table. Anna sat obediently, watching as her dad stomped over the closet in the hallway where the bedrooms lay. He rummaged around for a moment before coming back to the table with a wirebound book, several connected palettes of paint, and a paintbrush. He then grabbed a mug from the pile of dirty dishes that hadn’t just been destroyed and filled it with water.

“Here,” he spat, tossing the materials down in front of Anna.

Water sloshed in the mug, a few drops escaping onto the table. Anna looked down at the book and the paints cluelessly. “What is it?”

Her dad huffed. “It’s a book of ‘paint-by-numbers’ pages,” he said impatiently. “You can’t see it yet since you haven't met your soulmate, but the paints there are all different colors.” He gestured to the pods of paint then flipped open the book to a random page. He pointed to the image: a flower with a smiling face.

“See, the book gives you pictures to paint.” Anna noticed that the image had numbers scattered around it: the petals all had a number 3 inside them, while the stem and leaves had the number 6, and so on. “It tells you what color everything should be by using the numbers,” he finished, gesturing back to the paints, which Anna now saw were each labelled with a different number.

To Anna, it may as well have been magic. Finally, something worthy of her attention!

“…Woah!”

Without another word, the little one grabbed the paint brush and started popping open the palettes of paint, quickly becoming enamored with the activity.

Anna’s father sat back down at his spot, ignoring the mess Anna had made. Anna hardly paid him any mind as he grabbed his crumpled cigarette, relit it, and went back to doing the crossword.

By the time Anna’s mom got home from work, Anna had finished coloring the entire book.

**0-0-0-0-0**

It had just rained. The ground was slick, and the air held the sort of crisp freshness that only comes after a storm. Children laughed and played in their raincoats and rainboots. It was clear enough for outdoor recess, but the teachers made their classes bundle up just in case.

Anna was five years old, still a bundle of life and brightness; if not a little rough around the edges.

She was crouched over the playground blacktop, her ratty, grey velcro sneakers caked with mud. The girl wasn’t paying any attention to the chaos around her. No, her full attention was set on the sight in front of her; an earthworm, writhing on the concrete. She smiled as she gently picked it up, adding it to the growing pile of wet mud and soggy invertebrates in her other hand.

Despite how short her life had been up until this point, Anna had been called many things. Her peers called her ‘weird;’ her teachers called her a ‘menace;’ her mother called her a ‘cantankerous little shit,’ whatever that meant.

The names never bothered her. They did, however, bother Ariel, Anna’s one and only friend. She had been in tears after Hans and his dumb friends called her stupid the other day. Anna was furious. Just because Ariel didn’t talk, didn’t mean she was stupid!

With a glance at her handful of dirtied worms and a resolute nod, Anna stood. This was probably enough.

Payback was in order.

She made her way to the jungle-gym as stealthily as a kindergartner such as herself could. Past the swings, behind the slide, and over to the monkey bars she went, where a boy with hair a few shades darker than his pale grey skin stood proudly, his back to Anna.

“I got a haircut the other day,” Hans was bragging, his tone implying that this was somehow something to marvel at. “Mother took me to a _professional_ barber.

Anna rolled her eyes, crouching behind one of the support beams that held up the jungle-gym. She doubted he even knew what ‘professional’ meant; but neither did she, so she let it slide.

Hans and his friends didn’t notice her. He was too busy boasting about how much money the cut cost, how good it looked, how the barber could see color and _blah blah blah._ Anna was never one to listen to jerk-faces like him, and she didn’t intend to start any time soon.

She inched closer. A mischievous grin split out across her face, one that might have looked intimidating if it weren’t for the missing tooth and cutesy twin pigtails. Her target still hadn’t taken any notice of her.

Moving with incredible speed, Anna dashed out from behind the support and clambered up the steps to the monkey bars. Before anyone could react, Anna jumped, flinging out her free hand to catch the bar just above Hans, and dumped the entire collection of mud and worms directly onto his head.

“AAAAHHHHH!”

Anna couldn’t stop herself from laughing at the ridiculous dance Hans was doing to try and keep the worms from falling into his shirt. He looked close to tears as the mud slid down the sides of his face, plopping onto his shoulders.

She let go of the monkey bars, landing haphazardly on the woodchips below. While she would have loved to stick around and laugh at Hans some more, Anna knew it was time to make a break for it. She certainly didn’t want to be nearby when the jerk or his friends came to their senses.

Grinning like a maniac, Anna started to run…

…Only to immediately slam into the legs of her kindergarten teacher.

“Uh,” Anna looked up at the woman with a sheepish smile. “Whoops?”

**0-0-0-0-0**

The sun was shining, casting a vibrant glow across the world. Scattered grey leaves shifted across the pavement, moved by an invisible force. Anna watched them apathetically as they drifted, languidly gracing the pavement here and there as the wind carried them. She shuffled her feet, the movement jostling the small backpack she carried by her side.

Anna was six years old, and she had been stupid enough to believe her parents loved her.

Sure, they yelled a lot - mostly at her, actually - and maybe they were a bit… rough sometimes, but they loved her! They did… didn’t they?

Apparently not. Or at least, all the evidence seemed to suggest the contrary. No, though she desperately didn’t want to believe it, Anna knew the truth. She saw it in the pitying looks from the adults from the agency; she saw it in the small backpack of personal effects and the suitcase of clothing she held; she saw it in the way her parents hadn’t even said goodbye.

And her parents’ conversation from last month, the one she wasn’t supposed to hear… The words still bounced around in her head; words she knew were important, but did not yet understand.

All signs pointed to the same answer.

She was currently standing outside her, as the social worker put it, ‘brand new home!’ It was a medium-sized, two-story house. The paint job was as immaculate as the crisp garden by the front porch. The driveway housed an expensive-looking black car. Not a single leaf, nail, or speck of dust was out of place.

Anna had a feeling she wouldn’t do well here.

“Come along, now, sweetie,” the social worker said nonetheless. She gently placed a hand on Anna’s back to guide her forward, but it was shrugged it off.

The door opened with a slight creak, revealing a tall woman in a dark sweater. She had long, curly black hair and harsh eyes that seemed to glow in the midday shadow. As she stepped onto the porch to meet them, Anna couldn’t help but shiver.

“Why hello there,” The woman said with faux-enthusiasm. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Joyce.”

Anna didn’t buy the plastered-on grin, but the social worker certainly did. And in the end, that was all that mattered.

“Ah, the pleasure is all ours!” The social worker replied, her smile much more genuine. She nudged Anna forwards. “Anna, I’d like you to meet Miss Dame Gothel!”

“Mother Gothel will do,” the woman said, some of her fake attitude giving way to annoyance.

The two chatted about things that Anna didn’t bother listening to. The events of the past few weeks were starting to catch up to her, now that her new reality stood solidly in front of her. Her eyes were downcast, picking out the difference in shades in the grey wood at her feet, when a movement at the window caught her attention. Anna looked up, just barely catching the flash of hair as someone fled from sight.

“Welp,” the social worker’s voice brought Anna back to the conversation. “That just about covers everything! Anna, I’ll see you in a week for our check in.” She turned to Mother Gothel. “It’s always a pleasure, Miss Gothel!”

“Please,” Mother Gothel all but sneered. “The pleasure is all mine.”

The second Joyce’s car disappeared from sight, Anna and her bags were pulled roughly into the house. She stumbled, her footing lost as she fell to the ground.

The silence only lasted for a moment before Mother Gothel spoke. “Your room is the first one on the right at the top of the stairs,” she said, clearly not one for preamble. Her cool gaze was fixed on Anna as she struggled to get to her feet. “Curfew is 9 o’clock sharp. No food anywhere outside the kitchen and the dining room. My room and my office are off-limits.”

Anna swallowed thickly as she stood back up. Her knuckles were turning white from how tight she was gripping the strap of her rucksack.

“Failure to comply with my rules will be sorely regretted.” The woman turned away from the new foster. “You’ll stay out of the way if you know what’s good for you, child.”

With nary a spare glance, Mother Gothel left the room.

Anna stood in the entry hall for about a minute, trying to figure out what to do, when a voice called out to her.

“Anna, huh?” The voice said. “That’s a neat name.”

The girl turned, her pigtails swishing as she about-faced. Before her was a girl with short, black hair that looked to be several years older than Anna. She walked up to Anna, her footsteps deliberate and silent. “My name is Cassandra,” she said, sticking out a hand for Anna to shake. “But you can just call me Cass.”

Anna took the offered hand. “Um, hi.” Her general optimism and extroverted nature failed her. She still wasn’t sure what to make of the situation; of the posh house, the cruel older woman, and now this new girl. “Uh- can you tell me, um-”

Cass snorted. She ruffled Anna’s hair, interrupting her stuttering. “Don’t worry, kid,” she said, flashing a reassuring smile. “I’ll show you the ropes.”

The older girl put a comforting hand on Anna’s shoulder, one that Anna didn’t feel the need to reject as she was guided to the stairs. She didn’t miss the careful glance that Cass sent over her shoulder, in the direction that Mother Gothel had gone.

“You’ll pick things up pretty quick around here.”

**0-0-0-0-0**

Dark colored lockers lined the halls, making them feel a tad more claustrophobic than the open floors of the many different elementary schools Anna had attended. Students and parents alike swarmed the halls, each trying to find their respective lockers. Anna’s current foster dad hadn’t come with - hell, he hadn’t even bothered to give her a ride to the school, leaving her to walk five miles alone.

Anna was twelve. She wasn’t a fool anymore.

Whether it was from bouncing between foster families faster than a ping-pong ball or the copious amounts of abuse and neglect she’d seen, Anna found herself growing up much too fast. She had to learn, and quite quickly, that nobody was looking out for her. You either learned to fend for yourself, or you weren’t capable of making it in this world.

The untied shoelaces of Anna’s worn, hand-me-down Converse swished around her feet as she walked. She kept close track of the numbers on the lockers, trying to pick out the one that belonged to her. Middle school orientation was only for another hour, so she had to find her locker quick if she wanted enough time to pick up the materials’ lists for her classes.

Finally, Anna reached her locker. It was at the end of a more secluded hallway. There were only a few other people in the area, which Anna was grateful for. She double-checked the note at the top right of her schedule.

Yep, she was at number 735. She put in the passcode, 87-23-91, and tried the latch.

No dice.

She reentered the code, 83-21-97, and tried again. Still, nothing.

Anna was getting frustrated. She had put in the code three times, exactly as it was on the paper; 97-13-28! It just wasn’t working, and she was just about to throw in the towel when a ruckus from a few lockers down caught her attention.

“H-hey, leave me alone!”

There was Hans and his crew, cornering a tall boy with light hair against the lockers. Despite his height, he looked to Anna to be very small at the moment.

“What’s wrong, new kid?” Adam, one of Hans’ lackeys, taunted the other boy. “We just wanna know where you got your _amazing_ shirt.”

Anna tilted her head, taking a closer look at the boy. Much like Anna, his shoes were ratty and his jeans were torn. The cap he wore looked like it had seen many owners before him- and probably smelled the part, too.

And then, the shirt- the subject of the boys’ ridicule. It seemed to be the nicest article of clothing the boy was wearing, even if it was a few sizes too big, being a stark white button up half tucked into his jeans. But…

“Hey, look- the buttons are on the wrong side!”

“Oh my _god_ is that a girl’s shirt?”

“It is! Why the hell are you wearing a girl’s shirt, _freak?”_

The boy’s face flushed a few shades darker than it had been previously. “I-it was the only nice shirt I had,” he protested meekly. “It’s a hand-me-down from my sister-”

At this, the group of boys burst into uproarious laughter. Anna could see where this was headed. She had seen it many times before, and she wasn’t naïve enough to just sit around and let the poor boy get hazed.

“Hey!” A beat-up Converse sailed through the air, smacking Adam on the back of his head.

“Ow! What the-”

Anna stomped over to the group, angrily swiping her shoe back from where it had landed and glaring daggers at the perpetrators. “Leave him alone, jackass.” Even standing there with one shoe off and her hair tied up in those ridiculous pigtails, she still managed to look intimidating.

Hans, however, was not as swayed as his friends. Ever since the worm incident, Anna knew that he had it out for her. He cast an amused glance over to Adam, one that seemed to allow the group to regain their footing, then turned back to Anna. “What?” Hans asked mockingly. “He your friend or something?”

“Freaks have to stick together, I suppose,” Adam added with a chuckle.

Anna wanted so badly to wipe that stupid smirk off his face, but she couldn’t afford another suspension. Not this soon in the school year, at least.

Instead, she merely scowled. “Yeah, actually, he is! Me and- uh,” she stopped, glancing at the boy beside her. She leaned in, lowering her voice to a not-very-discreet whisper. “Uh, what’s your name?”

“Kristoff.”

“Yeah, Kristoff! Me n’ Kristoff are buddies, and you should know by now, _Hans,_ that if you mess with my friends, you’re gonna be dealing with the business end of my shoe.” She slapped the shoe threateningly against her open palm.

Hans started towards her, looking like he might want to test the weight of that threat, when Kristoff stepped forward.

“Hey, hey! We don’t need to fight, okay?” He maneuvered so that he was in between Hans and Anna, putting his hands out in a placating gesture. “Look- Hans, was it? Just leave us alone, please. We don’t want to cause any trouble.”

Anna suppressed a scoff. “Speak for yourself,” she mumbled. These guys were trouble, she knew it better than anybody. And Hans wasn’t the type to back down that easily.

…Which is why everybody was shocked when he did just that.

“I-” Hans started to speak but quickly cut himself off, blinking dumbfoundedly around at the halls. His eyes wandered for a moment before then locking onto Kristoff. He looked at the new boy as though he’d sprouted wings. “Y-you…”

Anna had never seen him look so tongue-tied before. Adam cleared his throat, giving Hans a look that clearly said ‘what the fuck?’

Hans seemed to come to his senses, the momentary spell he was under having been shattered. He straightened, his shoulders tense. “W-whatever,” he said, his voice wavering. His eyes never left Kristoff. “These losers aren’t even worth our time.”

With one last loaded look at Kristoff, Hans turned on his heel and walked away without another word. Adam and the other boys seemed just as confused as Anna was, but they followed their leader, and Anna wasn’t one to look a gift-horse in the mouth.

“Huh. Well, that was easier than usual,” Anna said with a shrug. She turned to Kristoff, giving him a bright smile before striking him in the shoulder with her shoe.

“OW! What the heck was that for?”

“That’s for being such a wimp,” she responded, still grinning. “Dude, you’ve gotta learn to stick up for yourself.”

Kristoff frowned. “I-I guess, but…” He ducked his head, reflexively adjusting his beanie. “I just really don’t like fighting.”

“Well, you don’t exactly have to _fight_ them, per se, but you can’t just be a doormat.” Anna clapped him on the shoulder, much gentler this time. Her smile softened. “You should stick with me. I can do the fighting for the both of us.”

The boy shot her a grateful smile. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “Uh… What’s your name?”

Anna returned the smile with a grin of her own. “The name’s Anna,” she said. “Now come n’ help me get my locker open.”

**0-0-0-0-0**

“Hey, you’re cheating!”

The two were seated in the living room of Kristoff’s home, happily playing Super Smash Brothers on Kristoff’s old GameCube. Currently, Anna was absolutely obliterating his character, knocking him off the screen over and over again.

She had finally switched from her pigtails when Kristoff taught her how to braid them, having had practice from helping his sisters. They were currently bouncing as she excitedly mashed at her controller.

Anna was fourteen, and she was… in a great deal of pain, actually.

She wasn’t going to let Kristoff see that, though, so she just grinned and knocked his character out again.

Her current foster family was not a good one. Clayton - or _Mr._ Clayton as he so often reminded her - was far from cuddly, as Anna’s new wounds would testify. The bruises on her sides were easily hidden by her shirt and the split lip was explained away by Anna’s general clumsiness, but the dark fingerprint-shaped marks around Anna’s wrist were difficult to obscure.

Which was why she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt in the middle of July.

It had easily fooled Kristoff. It only took a simple “Dude, you know your house is always freezing,” for him to stop asking questions, but Anna was a little concerned that some of his foster family were a little more astute. She had not missed the concerned looks, but she hoped that nobody would say anything.

They were a big family, and they loved Kristoff far more than any foster family had ever loved Anna, but she didn’t have the heart to be jealous. They had welcomed her with open arms- Aunt Bulda had loved Anna’s pigtails, Uncle Cliff was just happy that Kristoff had finally made a friend, and Grand Pabbie was always a kind host. Having grown up in the foster system as well, the three adults knew how tough it often was. They were always welcoming in “fellow fosters and wayward souls,” as Kristoff had put it, leading to a rather crowded - but very happy - home.

Luigi was once again propelled off the edge of the arena by Samus, resulting in the rather mocking _‘K.O.’_ flashing across the screen. Kristoff threw up his hands in defeat as Anna cheered.

“Are you sure you’ve never played this before?” Kristoff asked good naturedly, nudging Anna in the side. “You seem like you know what you’re doing.”

Anna smiled, trying to hide a wince. “What can I say? Maybe I’m just a natural at kicking your ass,” she jested, ignoring the throbbing in her ribs.

Kristoff laughed, but he didn’t protest. They both knew she was right.

“Hey, guys.”

Anna and Kristoff looked up as Nani, Kristoff’s foster sister, came into the room. “Hi Nani,” Kristoff greeted. At fifteen, she was only a year older than Kristoff. “You wanna join?”

Nani shook her head. “We sorta need your help,” she said, gesturing behind her with her thumb. “It’s Lilo and Olaf.”

“Ah shoot, are they on the roof again?”

“Yup.”

“Brought Sven with them?”

“Uh huh.”

“Won’t listen to you?”

“Nope.”

Kristoff sighed, placing his controller on the coffee table. “I’m on it,” he said, pushing himself up off the couch. Before he left the room with Nani, he looked back at Anna over his shoulder. “Uh, sorry Anna, you know how they are. I’ll be back soon.”

“No worries, dude,” Anna replied. She could sympathize. Lilo and Olaf were only four and three respectively, but they were an untamable duo with a propensity for trouble-causing, and only really listened to Kristoff (if they listened at all).

Anna kicked back on the couch as Kristoff left, choosing her character and setting a few CPUs to fight against. She snorted at the option to change their color scheme. It wasn’t like she could tell the difference, not yet. She was excited to meet her soulmate, even if it was just for the ability to understand what the hell color looked like.

“Mind if I join you?”

Anna looked up, the gruff voice of Grand Pabbie startling her. The short man was standing just behind Kristoff’s spot on the couch, leaning lightly against his cane. He had mid-length disheveled hair that Anna had a feeling was actually as grey as it looked, even if she couldn’t be sure. A spattering of freckles not dissimilar to Anna’s own graced his broad nose and dark cheeks.

She gave him a skeptical look, adjusting her sleeves a bit to be sure her bruises weren’t showing. “You play?”

“I dabble,” the old man said, eyes twinkling.

Anna shrugged. “Sure, I guess.” She deselected the computer characters she had picked so Grand Pabbie could join.

The old man sat down, picking up Kristoff’s controller and putting his cane on the table in its place. He selected Captain Falcon, and the match began.

It was a battle of the ages. Anna was shocked to find that the old geezer really knew what he was doing, expertly evading her attacks and returning them in kind. The two were fairly evenly matched. When Anna would strike, Pabbie would parry. When Pabbie sent out a charged attack, Anna would counter.

Their respective characters had nearly identical amounts of damage taken throughout the match, until Pabbie finally got the upper hand and knocked Anna out. _‘K.O.’_ appeared on the screen, leaving Anna to stare slack-jawed at her opponent. “Since when are you good at video games?!”

Grand Pabbie laughed. “I may be old,” he said jovially, “but I still know a thing or two about ‘gaming’ as you kids call it.”

“Dang,” Anna said, grinning. “You wanna play again? I won’t go easy on you this time.”

The man chuckled. “Maybe later,” he said. He leaned forwards, setting his controller back on the table. “Maybe instead you could tell me about how your wrist got to looking like that. I’m sure it wasn’t from playing soccer with Kristoff.”

Anna froze. She hastily pulled her sleeve back down from where it had ridden up, exposing her injury. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered, glaring down at the carpeted floor.

“Anna,” Grand Pabbie said gently. He scooted forward, ducking to meet her eyes. “I’m no stranger to this kind of thing. I want to help you. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s happened.”

His eyes were kind, showing a concern that Anna had never seen before, not even in her own parents. It made her feel safe, if only for a moment.

But a moment was all it took.

“It’s me or Terk,” she admitted, her breaths coming shakily. “She’s his real daughter, my foster sibling. She- she’s only seven, I can’t just let him hurt her.”

There was a terrible silence. Anna felt the weight of what she had just said press into her, leaving her trembling. This wasn’t good. There’s no way in hell she’d be allowed back here, not after what she’d just shared.

Nope, it was time to backtrack. “It’s really fine,” Anna insisted after Grand Pabbie still hadn’t responded. “It’s not that bad. I’ve had worse.” She winced, realizing that last part wasn’t helping her case. “Uh, I mean-”

“Anna, you’re not going to have to worry about that any longer.” He stood, retrieving his cane from the coffee table.

“Wh- what?”

“I’m going to make a few calls,” Grand Pabbie answered, walking to the wall-mounted phone by the entrance to the kitchen. “You’re going to be living with us from here on out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you hadn't figured it out already: in this world, everybody sees in black and white until your soulmate says your name within earshot. A bit of a weird way for soulmates to work, but I like it because it leaves a lot of room for chaos and heartbreak >:) Also, I have just about no idea how adoption/foster families work, but I'm doing my best to research- let me know if/when I get something wrong so I can correct it!
> 
> I'm still sort of figuring out how perspective will work in this fic- I'm not sure if I want it to be exclusively Anna's view, or both her and Elsa's. What would you guys like to see? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy what I've got so far :)
> 
> ~Nopes
> 
> ((Oh, and if you didn't catch it: Joyce = Joy from Inside Out, Adam = Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and Clayton/Terk are from Tarzan))


	2. Prologue (Elsa): Coddled Hearts

**Prologue (Elsa): Coddled Hearts**

Elsa was four when she learned about soulmates.

It was dark out, her room lit only by her bedside lamp and snowflake-shaped night light. The light walls of her room were cast in grey shadow, and while Elsa would usually be scared of the darkened corners, she wasn’t; her mother and father were here, after all.

Agnarr sat on the edge of her bed, tucking her in gently. Elsa sighed contentedly, clutching her stuffed horse as her father brought the grey blankets up to her chin.

Elsa’s mother was crouched by the small bookshelf underneath her window. “Now, which story would you like, Elsa?” Iduna asked, running her fingers over the spines of the many books they had bought for their daughter. She sent a grin over her shoulder. “How about The Snow Queen?”

Elsa thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. It was her favorite story, but she had a better idea for tonight.

“I wanna know how you and Papa met!”

Her mother blinked, sending a glance to her father. Elsa didn’t quite understand the silent conversation they were having, but she patiently waited for them to give her an answer.

Finally, her father nodded, turning back to Elsa with a smile. “Very well, then,” Agnarr said, scooching over on the bed so her mother could join.

“We were young, though much older than you,” her father said, softly bopping Elsa on the nose with his index finger. “I had just turned thirteen, and my father - your grandpa - wanted to take me riding. We went to your mother’s stables, although they weren’t hers just yet. Your Grandma Yelena was still running the place.”

Iduna clasped his hands in hers, affectionately stroking his palm with her thumb. “He tried to ride the wildest horse we had,” she chuckled. “Ended up falling off and hitting his head. I was the only one who noticed and went to help him.”

“When I came to,” Agnarr continued, “there was the most beautiful girl in the world standing over me. I asked her for her name. I repeated it, said it was beautiful, and-”

“-and suddenly, I could see color,” her mother finished. “And I knew your papa was my soulmate.”

Elsa’s face was the picture of confusion. “What’s color?” she asked. “And what’s a soulmate?”

“Those are very big questions for such a little one.” Agnarr gave Elsa a kiss on the forehead and stood.

Her mother did the same. Elsa found her eyes drooping, snuffing some of the burning curiosity in her mind.

“Get some sleep, little snowflake. We’ll tell you more in the morning.”

**0-0-0-0-0**

Elsa was six when she discovered how much she loved math.

The worksheets were a breeze, and though Elsa was rather shy at school, she found herself actually raising her hand in class - more often than not, she had come to the right answer far before her peers.

But the endless, straightforward addition and subtraction was becoming rather boring to the girl. It didn’t matter what form it was in; whether it be simple numbers or more complex visuals, verbal questions or written word problems, Elsa had already mastered the work her class was stuck on.

So the young mathematician found herself in her father’s office, scanning the countless books adorning his two large bookshelves.

Well, maybe countless wasn’t the proper word. Elsa had counted them many times before - 156 books on one bookshelf, 137 on the other, for a total of 293 books in Agnarr’s office. Easy, as all counting was for her.

Elsa’s knees dug into the hardwood floor, her fingertips lightly trailing across the spines of the thicker books on the bottom shelf. They were sporting a thin layer of dust.

These seemed to be what she was looking for. She pulled out one of the thicker books, simply titled ‘Algebra 1.’ Elsa flipped to a random page, reading the first sentence:

_“... known as factoring. The process of factoring binomials and quadratic trinomials is-”_

Elsa shut the book. Not that one, not yet at least; she’d remember it for the future, though.

She slipped the book back into its place, choosing a different title a few books down. This one seemed much closer to the skill level she was at, introducing concepts that Elsa heard her teacher mention before.

Time flew as Elsa read, curled up on the floor of her dad’s office. She only moved once, to grab a pencil from his desk, before she settled back on the hardwood. She was determined to master multiplication and division by the end of the day.

“Elsa? What on earth are you doing on the floor?”

Elsa blinked, her book momentarily forgotten as her mother interrupted.

“Mother? You’re home?”

“Of course I’m home, silly!” Her mom smiled, entering the office and crouching down in front of Elsa. “I got off work an hour ago.”

“Oh,” was Elsa's response. She blinked owlishly up at the clock by the door. It had been several hours, much longer than she had expected. There was no window in the room, so she didn’t have the light to go by.

Iduna seemed to notice the book Elsa was reading. She reached out, asking silently for Elsa to show her what it was.

Elsa smiled sheepishly, blushing as she handed the book to her mother. She wasn’t just reading. No, Elsa had completed most of the practice problems the book provided as well.

Shock flickered across her mother’s face and Elsa’s smile faltered. Did she do something wrong?

Her fears were assuaged when Iduna’s smile returned. “Elsa, what’s got you reading something like this,” she inquired. “I’d think this kind of book was a little boring for someone your age.”

Ever the shy one, a timid expression donned Elsa’s face. She tangled her fingers together, fidgeting in her spot a bit before she answered. “Well,” she started. “The stuff at school is too easy. I wanted something more difficult.” Elsa averted her eyes, adding on a small “and _I_ think it’s pretty fun,” in a mumble.

Iduna laughed, cupping Elsa’s face in her hand so the girl was facing her. “You know, you’re just like your father.”

Elsa looked up at her with wide eyes. “Really?”

“Yes, little snowflake,” her mother confirmed. “He loves math, was always ahead of his class.” Her thumb caressed Elsa’s cheek, her daughter leaning into the comforting touch.

“You know,” Iduna continued. “Your father and I could talk to your teachers about your skill level. If you’d like, we could see if you could qualify to work on some higher level material.”

Elsa gasped. “For serious?!”

“For serious.”

With an excited squeal, Elsa launched herself into her mother’s arms, taking them both to the floor in the process.

**0-0-0-0-0**

Elsa was seven when her baby brother was born.

She clung tight to her father’s hand, letting him lead her into the room where her mother was resting. They had been in there for a while, leaving Elsa with a kind nurse to wait just outside.

From the sheets on the bed to the paint on the walls, everything about the room was white. The overhead lights were off, allowing the room to be lit by the winter sunshine coming in from the windows. It was the beginning of February, just a little over a month after Elsa’s own birthday.

“Elsa,” her father said softly, bringing her up to the bed where her mother lay. “Meet your new baby brother.”

Elsa peered over at the little boy cradled in her mother’s arms. He was a tiny thing, all swaddled in blankets, his eyes closed peacefully as he slept.

“He’s so small,” Elsa whispered, astonished at just how little he was. “Is he supposed to be that tiny?”

Her mother laughed. Elsa noted that, despite the tiredness in her eyes, she looked happy. “Well, he is smaller than you were, but that’s to be expected.”

At Elsa’s inquisitive glance, her father elaborated. “He came a bit early,” he explained. “So he didn’t have the same time to grow that you did.”

Elsa was silent for a moment, enraptured by the little boy in front of her. He gurgled a little, blinking his sleepy eyes up at her. When he noticed Elsa, he beamed.

Her heart squeezed, and Elsa knew right then and there that she loved this little stranger more than anything she’d ever known.

“What’s his name?”

“Well, we have a few ideas,” her mother responded. “But we wanted your input.”

Elsa’s eyes lit up and she gasped delightedly. Oh, she had the _perfect_ name!

Finally tearing her eyes away from her brother, Elsa looked up at her parents. Her voice held a seriousness that seemed near impossible for a seven year old to have, but excitement danced in her eyes.

“His name should be Marshmallow.”

“That’s- er,” Elsa’s father quickly turned his laugh into a cough, clearing his throat with an amused smile on his face. “That’s a wonderful idea, sweetie, but-”

“I like it.”

Elsa beamed at her mother’s words. “Really?!”

Her mother laughed, reaching out and cupping her daughter’s cheek. “How about Marshall,” she suggested. “Like Marshmallow, but a little more…”

“Refined,” her father supplied, still trying to hide his chuckles.

Elsa nodded. “I’m still gonna call him Marshmallow,” she declared solemnly. Her serious look broke into a giggle when the hand that was cradling her cheek lifted and her mother booped her on the nose.

“Well, then,” her father said, eyes crinkling as he smiled. “Welcome to the Andersen family, little Marshmallow.”

**0-0-0-0-0**

Elsa was nine when she figured out her brother was different.

Marshall was quiet, too quiet for a kid his age. He loved his stuffed fox, but he seemed more interested in the stitching than anything else. He certainly never actually played with it, and the same went for any other toys he had.

Those were the small things. There were bigger things, as well.

If there was too much light in a room, he’d freak out in a way that Elsa didn’t quite understand. He hated every food except mushed bananas, and didn’t seem to understand why he couldn’t pull too hard on Elsa or Iduna’s braids.

Her parents saw it too, but they didn’t say anything. Not to Elsa, at least.

But Elsa was an inquisitive young girl. She knew that they knew something, and she decided, one night as her parents tucked her in, that it was high time she it things out.

The door clicked shut behind Agnarr and Iduna as they left the room, leaving Elsa shrouded in darkness. She had stopped using her nightlight a mere year ago, and was starting to get used to the eerie shades and shadows that night brought with it.

Elsa strained her ears, listening for her parent’s footsteps. They were headed down the hall, it sounded like, towards the stairs if Elsa was correct.

Time to test that theory.

Slipping the covers off her frame, Elsa swung her feet over the side of the bed. The fluffy rug that covered her floor muffled her footsteps, allowing her to traverse her room almost silently.

She pressed an ear to the door and, once she was sure that her parents were no longer upstairs, eased it open. Through the carpeted hall and down the stairs she went, as swiftly and silently as she could manage.

Voices drifted in from the kitchen, but Elsa couldn’t quite make out their words. She stepped from the stairs to the first floor of the house. They were hardwood here, so she’d have to tread more carefully. Holding her breath, Elsa took her first step. Then another. She was determined - she needed to know what was wrong with her brother.

… Elsa shook her head. No, not _wrong._ There was nothing wrong with him. Elsa loved her brother just as much as the moment she’d first seen him, and she knew in her heart that there wasn’t a single thing wrong with him. Only something a little different.

She just wanted to know what it was.

With every step she took, the voices got a little clearer, until finally Elsa could make out her parent’s conversation.

“-looking like it is,” her father was saying. “I mean, the sensory issues, the quietness, even the way he plays!”

Elsa heard her mother sigh. “I know. You’re right.” There was a small silence. “We should get him tested.”

Another silence. Then, Agnarr spoke again. “I know you’re worried about him. I am too,” he said. “The world isn’t exactly kind to kids with autism.”

Bingo, she had her answer.

Elsa quietly dashed back through the house, up the stairs, and into her room. It was time to quit while she was ahead - she’d have time to look into it tomorrow. Blinking at the sudden darkness of her room, Elsa smiled.

Autism, huh? She didn’t know what that meant, but she figured that the rest of the world would just have to get used to it.

**0-0-0-0-0**

Elsa was seventeen when she realized she wanted to be a teacher.

Having just graduated a few days earlier - and younger than all her peers, given that she skipped second grade - Elsa sat at the kitchen table, fiddling with her fingers. It was a nervous habit she never grew out of. She stared at the pile of letters that sat before her, all opened and read.

College acceptance letters, and lots of them, stared back. She had been accepted to every single school she applied for. And why wouldn’t she? Elsa hadn’t got anything lower than a B her entire schooling career, she graduated as valedictorian, and she was on her way to becoming a world renowned mathematician. Or a doctor. Or a physicist. Or a chemist, a surgeon, an architect - any way you spun it, Elsa was destined for great things.

So why did she feel so sick?

Her father was the head scientist at Arendelle Labs. She could easily land a job there, no matter which field she chose; they’d be happy to have another Andersen genius on staff, and her father would be delighted that she was following in his footsteps.

But something felt wrong. Math, science… she loved it, she was great at it, and she certainly wanted to continue working with it, but Elsa couldn’t help but feel that the options before her weren’t where she was meant to be.

She sighed, picking up the letter from Corona University. It was one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Being accepted was an honor. She had to choose them, right? She’d already told her family it was the most likely choice.

The sound of footsteps brought Elsa out of her rumination. Marshall plodded into the kitchen, plopping himself down in the chair next to Elsa’s. He scooched it closer so that he was side-by-side with his sister, leaning his head on her shoulder.

“Good morning, Marshmallow,” Elsa said, giving her brother’s light hair an affectionate ruffle.

“It’s not morning.”

Elsa glanced at the clock:

12:03 pm.

“Hm, so it’s not,” she responded with a smile. “Do you want anything to eat just yet? I could make your favorite.”

Marshall shook his head. He tapped his forefinger and middle finger twice against his leg, then made a short clicking sound with his mouth.

Of course, it didn’t phase Elsa. She and anyone who was close to the family was well used to Marshall’s tic by now. She was more surprised that he declined an offer for mac n’ cheese. It was just about all he ate.

“Well,” Elsa leaned over, placing the letter back down on the table. “I’m going to make some for myself, but you’re welcome to have some.”

She was just about to stand when Marshall’s voice made her freeze.

“You’re leaving.”

Elsa gulped, hoping he wasn’t talking about what she thought he was talking about. “No, silly, I’m just going over to the pantry to-”

“No,” Marshall interrupted. He removed his head from Elsa’s shoulder, looking pointedly at the papers scattered across the table. “You’re _leaving._ ”

Slumping a little over the table, Elsa sighed. “I know, Marshall.”

“Why do you have to go?” He asked.

“Corona has the best school. I…” Elsa trailed off. “I just have to.”

Marshall scowled at the letter from Corona. He tapped his leg twice, then clicked. “No you don’t. You could stay.”

“Marshall…”

Two taps, then a click. “There’s other schools.”

“I know, Marshmallow, but this one is-”

“There’s _other schools!_ ”

Another sigh. Elsa ran a hand through her hair, disrupting the messy braid she had it in. She and Marshall had always been close. She was just as upset about leaving as he was.

There was a silence at the table, only broken by Marshall as he tapped and clicked. After a minute, he spoke up again. His voice was small, holding a sadness that broke Elsa’s heart.

“Who’s going to help me with math now?”

The tears Elsa had been shoving away for the last month finally surfaced. She cleared her throat, trying to keep the rawness from creeping into her tone. “P-Papa can help you-” she started, but Marshall was already shaking his head, still tapping and clicking.

“He doesn’t explain it right. You make math make sense.”

And with that, Marshall got up, leaving Elsa alone in the kitchen.

Elsa sniffed, wiping her eyes. Marshall’s words rang through her head.

_You make math make sense._

He was right. No matter how discouraged or exasperated Marshall got with math, Elsa was always there to help him work it out.

In fact, now that she thought about it, it wasn’t just Marshall that she’d helped. She’d held a job as a tutor for several years. From kids Marshall’s age learning about fractions to fellow highschoolers struggling through Trigonometry, Elsa was there to help. Figuring out not only where people were having trouble, but why - it came naturally to her, just as naturally as math itself always did.

She always knew she loved math, but for the first time Elsa realized just how much she loved helping others with it as well.

Head spinning, Elsa stared at the acceptance letters on the table. The one from Corona still lay on top, but it was the one just underneath it that caught her eye. She pushed aside the Corona letter and picked up the one beneath it:

Arendelle University.

Of course she got accepted, just about anyone did. Despite not being a terrible school, it was mostly considered a back-up. Elsa had considered it a back-up as well, only sending off an admission ‘just in case.’ But Arendelle U had something that Corona didn’t.

It was close to home. Close enough, in fact, that Elsa wouldn’t have to move out. She wouldn’t have to leave her family; she wouldn’t have to leave Marshall.

For the first time in weeks, Elsa felt a genuine smile form on her face.

Elsa knew what she wanted to do. She clutched the Arendelle University acceptance letter, standing with a newfound resolution warming her heart.

She was going to be a teacher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, everyone! You only have to sit through this last prologue chapter before the story really begins :) The writing style will be less stiff as well, I only used this formatting for the prologues.
> 
> Real quick, I’d like to address Marshall’s character before anyone makes any assumptions. Marshall, in this story, has tourette syndrome and autism. No, this is not because of the way he talks/acts in the movies. I sort of made the character first and assigned a familiar name later - Elsa, in this story, has a younger brother with tourettes and autism, who inspires her to be a teacher. He’s a big part of her life and his developmental disorders play a part in that - a positive one. He was either going to be Olaf or Marshall, simply because of their relationship to Elsa in the movies, not because of their behavior. I just didn’t want anybody thinking I was being mean/stereotypical/making fun of anything or anyone <3 I really want to do this character justice, so please let me know if you have any suggestions or if I get something wrong!
> 
> I'll hopefully have the actual first chapter out in the next few days - after that, updates will probably slow down a little (either weekly or every two weeks), but I really wanted to start off on strong footing.
> 
> Thank you all for your comments, hits, and kudos! I'm really glad people seem to be enjoying this so far :D
> 
> ~Nopes


	3. Chapter 1 (Anna): Pretty Girls and Constellations

**Chapter 1 (Anna): Pretty Girls and Constellations**

Anna found herself making her way to the nurses’ office far sooner than she had expected.

The light material of her loose exercise shorts swished around her knees as she walked. _‘This has got to be some kind of new record,’_ she thought, pressing the wad of bloodied tissues closer to her face. _‘I mean, school hasn’t even started yet!’_

Anna’s footsteps echoed across the empty halls of Arendelle High. Fluorescent lights blinked overhead, casting grey shadows across the equally grey linoleum tiles. Anna found herself wondering, not for the first time, what color they really were.

Maybe it was just her personality, or maybe it was the result of growing up in the foster system, but Anna was an incredibly poor combination of foolhardy and pugnacious; exactly the kind of combo that resulted in a lot of injuries and reckless decisions. Because of this, Anna found herself in the infirmary far more often than most, a fact that the school nurse could certainly attest to.

_‘Nurse Fitzeherbert is definitely going to give me shit over this,’_ Anna thought as she pushed open the doors to the infirmary.

Sure enough, as soon as Anna entered, a chastising voice welcomed her.

“Anna Sobelman!” Mrs. Fitzherbert exclaimed, standing up from her desk chair. “How on earth did you already manage to get sent to my office?”

“Soccer ball to the face,” Anna responded, grinning at the woman. After all the time the teen spent in the infirmary, Rapunzel Fitzherbert had quickly become less of a staff member and more of a friend. “And this time it wasn’t even my fault,” she added with a chuckle, then winced as the gesture agitated her injured nose.

Mrs. Fitzherbert sighed and shook her head, her long, braided hair swishing behind her. “Well, you know the drill.” She gestured to the line of cots at the back of the room. “Have a seat, and keep your head forward to drain the blood.”

Keeping her head angled downwards, Anna plopped down on the stiff bedding, doing her best to keep from bleeding on it. This wasn’t her first bloody nose, and it was likely far from her last.

_‘I guess that’s an occupational hazard when you’re on the varsity soccer team.’_

Mrs. Fitzherbert rummaged around at her desk for a moment before coming over to crouch in front of Anna. Luckily, the bleeding had mostly stopped by then, allowing for Anna to remove the bloody tissues so the nurse could do her job.

The nurse felt gently around her slightly bruised nose, shooting Anna an apologetic smile when the teen winced. “Well, it’s not broken this time,” the woman said, retracting her hand for a moment so she could grab the alcohol wipes and ice pack she had brought over.

Anna let her clean off the remaining blood. She graciously accepted the ice pack, pressing it gently to her nose after the nurse tossed the used wipes into the garbage.

“Thanks Mrs. F, you’re the greatest.”

The nurse snorted, getting up and moving back to her desk. “Damn right I am.” She sat down, fixing Anna with an unamused look. “I don’t suppose I can convince you to rest a bit before you go back out onto the field, can I?”

“Nope,” Anna said, popping the ‘p.’ She was already starting to get up. “I’ll be fine. Nothing I haven’t handled before.”

Mrs. Fitzherbert sighed. “I figured,” Anna heard her mumble.

Anna flung open the infirmary doors. She wasn’t paying much attention as she strode out into the hallway…

…and immediately slammed into someone.

“Oh!”

“Oof!” Anna shook her head, her bangs swishing lightly. “Uhg, sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was… going…”

The teen trailed off as she fully took in the woman she had bumped into. To put it quite simply, she was absolutely radiant. The pencil skirt and plain blouse might look boring on someone else, but this woman somehow made it work. Her light hair was put up in a bun, and even in flats she was an inch or so taller than Anna.

_“Woah, you’re beautiful…”_

The woman raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. “Um, thank you,” she said with a bashful smile, her pale cheeks darkening slightly.

_‘Shit, did I say that out loud?!’_

Anna’s face flushed. “Uh, I mean, um-” she floundered, struggling to find a way to un-humiliate herself as those bright eyes contemplated her. Unfortunately, no deus ex machina swooped in to save her.

“Uhhh, sorrygottagobye!”

Anna dashed off face burning with a blush. She thought she heard the mystery woman giggle as she ran.

**0-0-0-0-0**

The rest of soccer practice went by quickly, despite the light throbbing in her nose. Soon enough, Anna found herself walking over to the second half of the soccer field, where the boy’s varsity team was wrapping up.

Anna waited semi-patiently, seeing how many times she could bounce her ball on her knee while she waited for her brother to finish up. She was at fifty-seven when Kristoff finally came over. She shifted, waiting for the ball to come back down from the last bounce before sending it in his direction.

Kristoff didn’t even blink. He caught the ball easily in his goalie gloves, grinning at his sister. “Hey feisty pants.”

“’Sup doofus.”

“Heard you got nailed in the face today,” Kristoff said, nudging Anna with his shoulder. “I don’t suppose Mrs. F was too keen on seeing you so early in the year.”

Anna laughed, lightly shoving him back. “Nah, she was _thrilled,”_ she replied sarcastically. “I’m her favorite student, after all.”

Kristoff snorted. “Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.”

The two started walking, making their way to the parking lot by their school’s soccer fields. The siblings’ old Ford Ranger came into view, parked in between a few other students' cars. The truck was a holiday gift from Grand Pabbie to Kristoff, Anna, and Nani two years ago. Now that Nani had graduated she had saved up enough for her own car, leaving the truck to Kristoff and Anna.

It took a few tries, but the old engine finally rumbled to life. Kristoff and Anna let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

_‘Looks like the old thing’s still not ready to kick the bucket, thankfully,’_ Anna thought as they pulled out of the lot. _‘I hope it’ll last us the rest of the year. Going back to the bus would suck.’_

The two rode in a comfortable silence, Anna watching the trees pass by outside her window. It was difficult to discern, but the leaves had a slight variation in shade, one that Anna had learned to associate with the arrival of Autumn. The weather had cooled down substantially since the beginning of August and looked as though it would stay that way for the remainder of the month.

Anna almost didn’t notice when they pulled into the driveway of their old, two story home. The car settled to a stop, the engine falling silent with one last sputter and a cough.

She opened the door and walked up the stepping stones that cut through the lawn, marking a path from the driveway to the front door. Cliff’s car wasn’t there, Anna noted, hearing Kristoff’s heavy footsteps close behind her.

The front door opened before Anna had even made it up the steps.

“Kristoff, Anna!”

Anna yelped as she and her brother were swept into a bone crushing hug.

“Mrph! Er, hey Auntie,” Anna managed to get out. Her cheek was pressed against the woman’s shoulder, her head cradled by strong hands. A glance to the side proved that Kristoff had it worse - his face was smothered in the crook of their Aunt’s neck, and Anna suppressed a laugh as he tried fruitlessly to come up for air.

Bulda Stenberg was a stout woman - she barely came up to Anna’s shoulder and was completely dwarfed by Kristoff’s massive build - but she was nothing if not a strong hugger. She pulled the siblings inside, kicking the door shut behind them.

“How was soccer practice?” she asked, finally releasing them from her iron grip. Kristoff immediately keeled over, wheezing, but Bulda didn’t seem to notice.

Anna snickered at her brother. “It was great,” she supplied. “I think we’re gonna be ready for our first game next month.”

“Anna got hit in the face- Ow, hey!” Kristoff rubbed his shoulder where Anna had slugged him. He threw up his hands at her peeved expression. “Well, you weren’t gonna tell her!”

Bulda gasped, immediately rushing to Anna. “Let me see!” She pulled Anna down so she could examine her, top to bottom.

Anna’s words were muffled as her aunt squished her cheeks. “Auntie, I’m really fine,” she said, the older woman still fussing over her. “Nurse Fitzherbert already gave me the ‘all clear.’”

“Oh, my fiery little Anna,” their Aunt tutted. “Always getting yourself hurt, you’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days!” Bulda sighed dramatically, giving Anna’s face one last affectionate pat before releasing her. She started shuffling through the entry hallway and towards the kitchen, beckoning them closer insistently. “Come along now, help me with dinner.”

Anna and Kristoff shared an amused look before following.

There were two ways to get to the kitchen from the front door. Kristoff started down the open hallway that led straight to the kitchen and dining room, but Anna opted to walk through the den so she could say hello to everybody.

The den was crowded, as usual. Nani was passed out on the couch, no doubt getting a nap in before her shift at the restaurant. Lilo and Olaf were spread out in front of the T.V. creating a city out of books and building blocks, while Grand Pabbie watched the news from his armchair. At his feet was the massive family dog, Sven.

“Ah, welcome home Anna,” the old man greeted as she carefully navigated the cluttered floor. Sven perked up from his spot on the floor, giving Anna a curious look as she stumbled closer.

“Hey Pabbie,” Anna said, stepping between the homes and towers the younger two kids had made. “How was - Lilo, stop biting my ankle - how was your day?”

Pabbie gave a hearty laugh as Anna shook her younger sister off her leg. “It was rather peaceful. Cliff finally helped me fix the leak in the kitchen sink.”

“Not exactly my idea of a peaceful afternoon, but that’s neat.” Anna finally rid her leg of Lilo’s jaws, only to be attacked from the other side by Olaf. He clung to her leg, trying to inch his way up to her hips with a playful smile on his face.

Anna rolled her eyes and scooped him up, balancing him in one arm while she fended off Lilo with the other. “Where is Uncle Cliff, anyways?”

“Bulda had him go out for more butter, you know how she is.” Pabbie answered. “Should be back by dinner.”

“Gotcha.”

Anna then lowered her voice a little, leaning as close to Pabbie’s armchair as she could. Between the mess on the floor and the huge dog, it wasn’t very easy, but she managed. Concern leaked into her expression. “How’s Russell holding up?”

At that, Pabbie sighed. “He still hasn’t come out of his room. Maybe you could speak with him after dinner?”

Anna nodded. She set Olaf down, ruffling his hair a bit as she passed him and started off towards the kitchen.

Kristoff looked up from the carrots he was chopping when Anna came in. “Took you long enough,” he joked, sweeping the vegetables into the bubbling pot of broth on the stove.

Anna stuck her tongue out.

“Anna, dear, help me with the potatoes.” Bulda thrust a large bowl of partially-mashed potatoes and a hand mixer into Anna’s hands. She gave Anna a kiss on the cheek, then turned her attention to the stew.

“Will do, Auntie,” Anna said, leaning into the kiss before taking up the space on the perpendicular counter beside the sink.

The three chatted as they worked. Well, Bulda and Kristoff mostly chatted; Anna added a comment here and there, but her head was elsewhere.

In particular, there were two specific things that she just couldn’t keep her mind off of.

The first was Russell. The eleven year old was their newest foster. He had been sent to their home after a few too many ‘incidents’ with his parents. Anna didn’t know all the details, but she overhead Bulda and Cliff talking about his grandfather - _‘What was his name again? Clark? Carson? Something like that.’-_ who was fighting for custody.

_‘Poor kid,’_ Anna thought. If she was being honest, he reminded her a lot of herself when she was first put in the system. _‘He’s only been with us for a few days, but he’s hardly come out of his room.’_

But she could deal with 'thing one' after dinner. The second thing, however…

Light hair and sparkling eyes flashed through Anna’s thoughts. She blushed, turning the speed of her hand mixer up as if it would somehow beat away the memory of her embarrassing encounter with the woman - and, not to mention the embarrassing _thoughts._

Anna was glad her back was to Kristoff and Bulda. She could already feel her blush worsening. She just couldn’t shake the image of the woman’s eyes, her soft-looking lips, and those _legs-_

Yeah. She’d probably have to deal with 'thing two' in bed later that night.

Anna shoved all thoughts of the beautiful mystery woman out of her mind. She finished up the potatoes, turning off the mixer and tuning back into the conversation.

“-and I said,” Kristoff was gesturing wildly, which was probably a bit dangerous since he was still chopping vegetables with a very sharp knife. “Soccer? I hardly even _know_ her!”

Anna groaned. Kristoff had tried that joke on her earlier and surprise, surprise, it wasn’t any funnier the second time.

At least Bulda seemed to enjoy it. “Oh Kristoff,” she said in between laughs. She was practically guffawing. “You’re a riot!”

“See?” Kristoff sent a smug look over to Anna. “I told you it was funny!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Anna retorted, turning Kristoff’s words from earlier against him with a roll of her eyes.

**0-0-0-0-0**

Dinner was it’s usual boisterous affair.

Bulda and Kristoff held a rather lengthy discussion about the flavoring of the night’s stew, while Pabbie and Cliff discussed the next project on the never-ending list of things in the house that needed fixing. Olaf accidentally smeared potatoes on his color-by-number book. Lilo snuck food scraps to the dog underneath the table. Tonight, Nani actually had time to join them before she had to leave - a rare occasion given her late work hours.

Anna loved the big family dinners that the Stenbergs hosted every night. She’d never had that sort of thing - warm meals, rambunctious joking and raucous laughter, the feel of being a part of something happy and pure - even before her parents got rid of her. There never seemed to be enough seats for everybody, so there was always a hodgepodge of random installments, from folding chairs to wooden stools, pulled up to the dining room table. It looked as though a preschooler had put together the furniture, but Anna thought that made it homey.

Tonight’s dinner, however, was missing a member.

A bowl of still-warm stew in her hand, Anna climbed the stairs. The stairwell and upstairs hallway walls were plastered with photos. Every foster that the Stenbergs hosted had a picture on the wall. Many of the people featured were there and gone before Anna had joined the family, but many more had been Anna’s foster siblings.

Anna paused on the steps, smiling at the photo of Peter and his six brothers. They were dressed in animal onesies, each one different from the other (except for the twins, of course). Peter wore one of a bird, smiling and sticking out his tongue. His brothers smiled at the camera with varying degrees of silliness; a fox, a bear, a rabbit, a skunk, and two racoons, all with grins on their faces.

_‘Boy, that was a time,’_ she thought with a chuckle, continuing up the steps. _‘I think that was the fullest this house has ever been. But poor Pabbie didn’t have the heart to separate blood siblings, even if there were seven of them.’_

Of course, they had all aged out several years ago. Last Anna checked, everyone was doing well - though they had been affectionately dubbed the ‘Lost Boys’ by Lilo, since Peter was the only one who visited often.

Anna walked the hall and turned the corner, passing everybody’s respective rooms. There was Lilo and Olaf’s on the left, her’s on the right. Kristoff’s, Bulda and Cliff’s… And then, at the end of the hall, there was the new fosters’ room: currently occupied by Russell.

_Tap-tap-taptap-tap!_

“Hey Russell,” Anna said to the door as she knocked. “Can I come in? I brought you dinner.”

There was no answer.

Sighing, Anna tried the doorknob. It was unlocked this time.

_‘I guess that means progress…?’_

The door swung open, revealing the plain room. Fosters were welcome to decorate, but Russell hadn’t deigned to add any personal touches.

Speaking of the boy, he was only a lump on the bed at the moment. Blankets and sheets were piled up around him, creating the make-shift tent in which he resided.

“Go away,”

The voice was muffled, but it lacked any bite. Anna recognized that tone, the one of detached sadness and quiet resignation. She had used it many times herself when she first entered the system.

“Hey Russell.” Anna crouched by the entrance to the blanket fort. She pulled aside the sheet that served as a sort of door and poked her head in.

Russell’s eyes, puffy from crying, glowered at her half-heartedly. His black hair, which Anna was pretty sure was usually spiky, was matted and sweaty. When he spoke, his voice was a hoarse mumble. “What do you want?”

Anna offered him the bowl of stew. “Well, I’d really like for you to eat a bit.”

He glared at the bowl. Anna thought he was going to refuse, but the rumble from his stomach gave him away.

“Fine.”

The bowl was snatched from her hands. Russell ate a few bites, giving Anna a look when she made no move to leave. “Why’re you still here?”

Anna gave him a soft smile. “Just wanted to check in.”

“That’s the social worker’s job.”

There was a brief silence. Then, Anna barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she relented. “I’ll go if you really want me to. I just want you to know that… you’re not alone.”

Anna stood. If he needed space, she’d give him space. “There’s a houseful of people here who can sympathize… Me especially,” she added before she could stop herself.

The door was about to shut behind her when Anna heard a soft voice call out.

“Wait,”

Turning around, Anna gave Russell a patient smile. She went back, once again crouching by the bed.

Russell bit his lip. He had thrown the covers back, revealing his gaunt form.

“I-I…” His lip quivered, fresh tears springing to his eyes. “I just d-don’t get it…”

Anna’s heart seized. She took a seat next to the boy, wrapping a comforting arm around him.

“I know, bud,” she whispered, stroking the boy’s hair as he cried into her shoulder. “I know.”

**0-0-0-0-0**

The two talked for what must have been a few hours. Russell had asked Anna what her story was - Anna usually recalled her past with a bitterness thinly veiled in comedy, but this time… this time, she let herself be more delicate, for Russell’s sake. Eventually, the poor kid tired himself out, falling asleep on Anna’s tear-stained shoulder.

She seriously considered spending the night watching over him, but the awkward position she was trapped in and her aching back made a convincing protest. So, as carefully as she could, Anna extracted herself from the sleeping boy’s form. She pulled the blankets up around him before she left, tiptoeing to the door and shutting it silently behind her.

The house was quiet as Anna snuck through the darkened hallway. Only Kristoff’s room had a light on underneath it, but she paid it no mind as she slipped into her room.

She didn’t bother turning on the lights - she wasn’t staying long, anyways - opting instead to blindly stumble around for a minute until she located her bomber jacket. Slipping the heavy leather on, Anna exited her room and quietly made her way down the stairs and out the front door.

The cool night air filled Anna’s lungs. She was definitely glad she’d been able to be there for Russell - and she would do it a thousand times over, but talking about her past without her usual shields up… it took more of a toll on her than she thought it would. What certainly didn’t help was that Summer was just about over; in a week, school would start, bringing with it the stress and frustration it always did.

Oftentimes, Anna felt like she was the only one who just couldn’t get the hang of school. Everybody else seemed to have at least one subject they were good at, but Anna? There was nothing. She was a C average student at best and a total failure at worst, no matter which class she was in.

Sitting on the front steps, Anna huffed. There was a lot on her plate.

The box of cigarettes felt heavy in her jacket pocket, as it always did.

She pulled it out anyways, as she always did.

She grabbed a cigarette and lit it, stuffing the items back in her pockets. It wasn’t a habit she was proud of, but what was the point in trying to change it? It soothed her nerves, giving her a reprieve from her worries, if only for a moment.

And as far as Anna was concerned, it was too late - she had started smoking young, young enough that the addiction had set in long ago. Stopping now wasn’t worth the effort.

“You know, those things are gonna kill you.”

Anna snorted as Kristoff joined her on the steps. “Good. Then you won’t have to nag me about it all the time.”

He nudged her lightly, a worried look on his face. He was dressed in his pajamas, a white t-shirt and a pair of flannel pants. “Stressed?” he asked, waving away the cloud of smoke that had surrounded Anna.

“How could you tell,” Anna responded flatly.

“Wanna talk about it?”

There was a small silence between them as Anna turned the question over in her head. She took in a deep drag, exhaling smoke with a sigh. “It’s just the usual stuff,” she rasped. “Life. School n’ all that. Just feels kinda pointless sometimes.”

Kristoff scooted a little closer. Wordlessly he reached an arm around her shoulders, bringing her into a warm hug.

“I’m here.”

Anna leaned into the embrace. Her breaths came tightly, shuddering in her chest, saturated with smoke and repressed sobs.

The two didn’t talk much after that, which Anna was grateful for. Her brother knew her well enough to know what she needed at times like this.

He gazed up at the sky while Anna finished her cigarette. The night was alight with stars, chasing back the darkness with their glow. Frequently he’d point upwards in a goofy attempt to pinpoint and label the shapes in the sky.

Anna laughed at Kristoff’s inventions, each one dumber than the last. It was a game they played sometimes; trying to find the most ridiculous patterns in the stars and dubbing them constellations. That’s what the Greeks did, right?

It wasn’t much, but it made Anna feel a little better. She had to admit, watching Kristoff come up with creative genius like ‘Cool Squiggle Thing’ and ‘Large Square’ never failed to bring a smile to her face.

Moments like this gave her hope.

The butt of her cigarette lay extinguished by her feet, but Anna did not light another. Instead, she joined her brother, one arm outstretched in an attempt to title the heavens.

_‘…Maybe this year won’t be so bad.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there everybody! I give to you, chapter one! I plan to upload either every Monday or every other Monday :)
> 
> Heads up, I made small change to Anna’s prologue - replaced Gothi’s name with Cliff, I only just found out that he’s Bulda’s canon husband, not Gothi (whoops!)
> 
> Also this is totally dumb but I drew up some schematics for the Stenberg's house. I'll be posting them in the comments. Don’t worry, you’re absolutely free to ignore these and envision the house in whatever way you want - drawing things out just helps me visualize better and keep everything straight in my head.
> 
> I've been thinking, I'll either do alternating perspectives or two Anna chapters per one Elsa chapter. Still haven't really decided which will work best, although I do have a few future chapters typed up already.
> 
> I'm so happy that y'all are liking this story!!! I'm going to take some time tonight to reply to some comments, work has been crazy lately so I haven't had the time, but I want you guys to know how much I appreciate your support :D
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~Nopes


	4. Chapter 2 (Elsa): New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, I don't know if I'm entirely satisfied with this chapter, but I've been staring at it for too long and wanted to just go ahead and get it out there. It's a bit short and a bit boring, but the next chapter will certainly make up for it >:)

**Chapter 2 (Elsa): New Beginnings**

Elsa hummed to herself as she taped up another poster. She clutched the roll of tape between her teeth, her hands occupied trying to keep the paper from angling too much while she stuck on the strips of adhesive. Her long, light hair was pulled up in a messy bun, thankfully keeping it from obscuring her view while she worked.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, lighting up the classroom in a way it likely hadn’t been before; quite a bit of dust had been disrupted when Elsa yanked open the cheap venetian blinds.

The room itself was rather bare, but Elsa was making it work. Just under thirty student desks took up most of the space, leaving little room for her teachers’ desk, which took up the corner of the room directly across from the door. Two knee-high bookshelves adorned the corner diagonal to her desk. They were already filled to the brim with books; one simply held the required course textbooks, but the other was practically stuffed with the extra reading material that Elsa brought in.

She was busy hanging up posters with math-related puns on them. The cashier told Elsa that they were brightly colored, and Elsa hoped he was right. She couldn’t know for sure, but she hoped some color would really cheer up the room, even if there weren’t many students that could appreciate it at this age. In addition, she had put up a bulletin board on the wall opposite to the whiteboard; that way, she could feature students’ projects when the time came.

Elsa had just put up the last poster - one that read ‘Don’t be mean! Be median, mode or range!’ - when a buzz from her phone caught her attention.

**2:43 - From: Punzie - hey, are we still on for lunch?**

_‘Shoot,’_ Elsa cursed mentally when she read the text and noted the time. _‘I totally lost track of the day!’_

Sending a quick confirmation and apology to her cousin, Elsa hurriedly grabbed her purse. If she walked quickly, she could get to the nurse’s office in a few minutes.

She power-walked through the halls, trying not to look like she was rushing. Other teachers were out and about, setting up their own classrooms for the coming school year. A few of them gave Elsa polite nods or waves as she passed by, which she returned with a tight smile. She didn’t mean to be rude, but she wasn’t exactly interested in socializing right now. Or, ever, actually.

_‘Down ‘H’ hall, turn left at the juncture…’_

Thankfully, Elsa took the time to walk the school with Rapunzel earlier that morning; otherwise, she’d be totally lost. Arendelle High School was practically a maze. According to her cousin, the school just kept getting extensions added onto it after it was built, distorting the once-concise organization of the halls and rooms. She still wasn’t quite sure where everything was, but she at least knew the location of her classroom and Rapunzel’s office.

Elsa strode down the hallway. At the end of the secluded hall lay the nurse’s office, where her cousin was waiting for her. Not expecting this solitary corner of the school to be populated, Elsa rounded the corner without really looking ahead.

“Oh!”

“Oof!” The girl Elsa collided with shook her head slightly. “Uhg, sorry, I wasn't watching where I was… going…”

She trailed off, seeming to really look at Elsa for the first time. “Woah, you’re beautiful,” the girl mumbled.

Elsa raised an eyebrow, caught a little off guard. “Um, thank you,” she responded, flashing a bit of a shy smile.

_‘And you’re not half bad yourself,’_ she added mentally, drawing her eyes up the other’s frame. The girl was cute - beautiful, even - in a rather tomboyish way. Her hair was tied up in twin braids, framing a face covered with freckles. Her baggy sportswear wasn’t exactly flattering, but it somehow suited her. In her right hand was an ice pack, presumably for her slightly bruised nose.

“Uh, I mean, um-” The girl’s face burst into a bright blush as she stuttered, and Elsa found herself liking the way it highlighted those freckles. “Uhhh, sorrygottagobye!”

Elsa couldn’t help but giggle as the flustered girl flew by her, making a swift and awkward getaway.

“Poor thing,” Rapunzel commented as Elsa entered the room, having observed the whole thing from her desk. “She looked properly mortified.”

“It was kind of cute,” Elsa admitted, leaning against her cousin’s desk. Hell, she couldn’t blame the girl - Elsa was probably blushing a bit herself at that point.

“Hey, keep it in your pants, she’s a student.”

“Wha-!”

Welp. She was _definitely_ blushing now. “I-I wasn’t- I didn’t mean-”

“Oh, man the look on your face!” Rapunzel cackled as Elsa tried to sputter out an explanation. “ _Chill_ Els, I’m just joking with you!”

Elsa coughed, trying to regain a bit of her composure. Her face was surely still flushed brightly - burning in a color that, out of the two of them, only Rapunzel could appreciate.

“Ahem. Well.”

Still snickering, Rapunzel rose from her seat. “Geez, you’re too easy.”

“Good to see you too, Punzie,” Elsa mumbled sarcastically as her cousin rounded to the other side of her desk. “You ready to go?”

“You betcha!”

The two left the infirmary and exited the building through the nearby emergency exit, beginning the short walk to the teacher’s lot where Rapunzel’s car was parked. Elsa examined the concrete as they walked, listening to her cousin chatter on about her already-busy job as school nurse.

The sounds of yelling and laughter could be heard on the mid-August breeze, carried across the air from the nearby sports fields. Leaves swayed on their branches, a few breaking loose and fluttering to the ground. Elsa breathed in the fresh air, a smile on her face.

This year was going to be better, she could feel it.

It didn’t take long for them to get to Rapunzel’s tiny buggy. Elsa waited patiently as her cousin fumbled with her keys, finally unlocking the door - if only after dropping her keys once or twice.

“-and since the sports teams are already practicing, I have to be on call in case of an emergency,” Rapunzel was saying as she drew open the door and plopped down into the driver’s seat. “And, of course, the first kid to have to see me is Anna.”

From her spot in the passenger’s side, Elsa sent Rapunzel a questioning look. “Anna?” she asked, tossing her purse into the cramped back seat of the two-door car.

Rapunzel nodded. “Anna Sobelman, lead striker of the varsity soccer team. She was the ‘cute’ girl you bumped into,” she explained, waggling her eyebrows teasingly at her stoic companion.

The woman’s antics were dismissed with an eye roll as Elsa buckled her seatbelt. “I take it she sees you a lot?”

“Quite a lot,” Ranpunzel responded, sticking the key in the ignition. The car came to life instantly, and soon the duo were rolling out of the parking lot and onto the main road. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s a great kid and I definitely don’t mind her company, but uh… Let’s just say she’s not exactly the careful type.”

Elsa hummed. _‘She didn’t didn’t really seem to be,’_ she thought, remembering the girl’s scruffy appearance and adorable ungracefulness.

The rest of the ride was relatively silent. Some pop song bopped out from the radio, making Elsa smile as her cousin quietly sang along. Luckily, the drive wasn’t very long: soon enough, Elsa and Rapunzel’s were pulling into the small gravel parking lot of Oaken’s.

The Oaken Family Café and Milkshake Bar had become a fast favorite of Elsa and Rapunzel’s. Elsa remembered back when the building had housed a rather run down 80s themed burger joint, but it had undergone a serious refurbishment with the change of ownership - it had been transformed into a rather cute little establishment, run by an equally cute little family. Their gimmick was that they not only served café type drinks, like coffees and teas; but also milkshakes, smoothies, and ice cream.

“Hoo-hoo! Welcome to Oaken’s!”

Elsa smiled brightly at Aksel, who greeted them from behind the register.

Aksel was an Adonis of a man; strikingly tall and broad shouldered, with wavy hair and kind, light eyes. According to Rapunzel, his husband was the head guidance counselor at Arendelle High - and if the cute photo of the two of them hanging behind the register was any indication, Aksel's other half was just as big statured (and big hearted) as he was, if not more so.

“Good afternoon, Aksel,” Rapunzel said warmly as she and Elsa approached the register. It wasn’t very crowded; there were only two other customers, allowing for Aksel to be the only barista on duty. “How’s the day treating you?”

“Oh, you know me! Can’t complain,” Aksel replied with a smile. “Coffee or milkshakes today?”

“Milkshakes!”

Aksel chuckled when Elsa and Rapunzel responded in unison. “I’ll have that right out for you. _Familie!_ ” He called over his shoulder towards the breakroom, where two other light-haired employees popped their heads through the cracked door. “ _To rister for jentene!_ ”

Their drinks were out in hardly a moment. Aksel and the other employee - Sofie, if Elsa remembered correctly - handed them to the cousins with matching smiles.

The two made their way to a booth by the front windows, sipping happily at their respective milkshakes. Rapunzel, as usual, had gone with strawberry, gawking all the while at Elsa’s choice in flavor. “I still think mint chocolate chip is an abomination,” she jabbed as they settled into their seats.

“And I still think you’re severely misguided.”

The conversation drifted from topic to topic as the pair took some time to catch up. Between Elsa having to create lesson plans in preparation for class and Rapunzel’s early obligation as nurse-on-duty, they hadn’t had much time to see each other over the summer. Elsa was happy to get the chance to spend more time with her cousin. They had always been close, ever since they were kids. Elsa had even been a bridesmaid at Rapunzel’s wedding, and Rapunzel had helped Elsa through her disaster of a final year in college.

“How are you settling into your new classroom?” Rapunzel’s curious eyes met Elsa’s over their beverages. “I heard the last teacher was a real grouch. Probably didn’t leave you much to work with.”

At that, Elsa laughed. “You got that right,” she said, taking a sip of her shake. “There was so much dust on the blinds, I’m sure they’ve never been opened until today.”

Her cousin grinned. She stirred her shake absentmindedly, blending in the whipped cream and just about drowning the cherry that had been poised delicately on top. “So, are you excited for the year? I know it’s not really the job you were looking for, but…”

True, the job wasn’t exactly what Elsa had in mind when she was getting her degree, but she was just happy that she had been able to get a job straight out of college. Her schooling had been centered around teaching for kids with developmental disorders and learning disabilities, but Arendelle High had an opening that was close enough: their remedial maths teacher was retiring, leaving a slot that just about nobody wanted to fill. That, combined with Rapunzel’s glowing recommendation had Elsa hired on the spot.

Elsa nodded reassuringly, taking another sip of her milkshake. It was a good stepping stone, Elsa had decided when Rapunzel suggested the position. This way, she could get some general teaching experience before switching to a job that focused more on what she was passionate about.

“It’s perfect, Rapunzel,” she said, flashing her cousin a grateful smile. “It’ll be a good learning experience. I mean, if I can teach high school, I can teach anyone, right?”

The nurse nodded. “Especially the remedial classes. They’ve got a bit of a, erm, _reputation,_ ” she said, raising an eyebrow in a cautioning expression. “At the very least it’ll help get your mind off of Honeyma- er, uh-” Ranpunzel cut herself off, eyes widening as she quickly snapped her mouth shut.

_‘Welp, there it is.’_ Elsa couldn’t hide her wince. _‘I suppose it was only a matter of time before she mentioned her. Rapunzel’s not exactly the tactful type.’_ Her eyes dropped to the table, an awkward pause settling between them.

“Ah, shoot…” The other woman reached her hand out, grasping one of Elsa’s. “I’m sorry Els. I know after last year things are still…”

Sighing, Elsa squeezed the other woman’s hand. “It’s fine, Punzie,” she said, but offered nothing else. Her milkshake suddenly didn’t look very appealing, so Elsa simply sat and let Rapunzel run her thumb across her knuckles.

The pair was quiet for a bit, Elsa staring silently at the table and Rapunzel holding her hand with a concerned look on her face.

Elsa’s family had been walking on eggshells around her since the whole… debacle, and truth be told, she was a little sick of it. The pitying looks and obvious kids gloves they were holding her with were getting annoying, but she couldn’t blame them. The wound was still fresh - everyone was only trying to be sensitive.

_‘They’re doing too good of a job,’_ Elsa thought with no small amount of exasperation. _‘Well, except for Marshall, thank goodness.’_ Her brother, now fifteen years old, was just as blunt as ever; something that Elsa was quite thankful for. She just wanted to move on, to forget that last year ever happened. She wanted things to go back to how they were, and Marshall was the only one who was being normal.

Rapunzel was the one to break the silence. “I’m here if you want to talk about it,” she said, giving Elsa’s hand one final, comforting squeeze.

Elsa definitely didn’t want to talk about it, but maybe that was the problem. She just nodded, which seemed to placate Rapunzel for the time being.

The two eventually returned to some semblance of a normal conversation, but Elsa’s mind was elsewhere. She wrung her hands beneath the table, clenching and unclenching her fingers as Rapunzel obviously prattled on about the upcoming school year.

  
 _‘This year will be better,’_ she thought, watching the remains of her milkshake melt in its cup. _‘… At least, I don’t see how it could possibly be worse.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy smokes, everyone! 1000 hits, 100 kudos, and tons of lovely comments!!! This is my first fic, I'm over the moon with your reception of it! You guys are truly wonderful, thank you so much!
> 
> Anyways, onto usual authors note stuff:
> 
> For those wondering, Aksel is not the shopkeeper from the first movie, he's his husband :) I couldn't find Oaken's full name anywhere, so I just made it a last name instead. You'll meet the 'Oaken' from the movie in the next chapter! Also, Aksel was speaking Norwegian earlier - or, uh, the vague approximation of Norwegian that google translate gave me. I'm sure it's not entirely accurate, but eh, I don't speak the language so I can't really dispute it. If they're any Norwegian folks reading, let me know so I can fix it. ((He's supposed to be saying: "Family! Two shakes for the gals!"))
> 
> Oh, and uh... sorry in advanced to Honeymaren :( She doesn't deserve the fate she gets in this fic - but hey, life's full of heartbreak, and unfortunately not everybody gets a happy ending. I'll probably write her a nice happy fic sometime in the future to compensate.
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and let me know if there are any glaring errors! Hope everyone is having a great Monday!
> 
> ~Nopes


	5. Chapter 3 (Anna): Uh Oh

**Chapter 3 (Anna): Uh Oh**

The first day of school had been fast approaching, and now, it was finally here.

Anna bit her lip as she and Kristoff rolled into the student parking lot. She wasn’t looking forward to dealing with yet another year of subpar grades, shitty teachers, and Hans Westergaard’s general bullshit. 

The truck sputtered as Kristoff pulled into the nearest available spot. Being seniors, they could now park closer to the building’s back entrance, which the two were thankful for. It would be useful in the winter - the truck didn’t have great heating.

“You good?” Kristoff killed the engine, sending a worried glance over to his sister. “You’re looking a bit nervous.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “I’m fine _mom,_ ” she sniped, grabbing her backpack from the back seat, Kristoff doing the same. The two flung open their doors and exited the truck, leaving it to lock with a _clunk._ “Forgive me for not being particularly excited to be back in this hellhole.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

The duo continued walking in silence. Anna kicked a sizable rock along in a make-believe game of soccer, dribbling it skillfully around her brother who only rolled his eyes.

Anna’s twin pigtails bounced lightly as she passed the rock between her feet. She didn’t wear her old hairstyle nearly as often as the braids, but every now and then she liked to shake it up. The black t-shirt that hung loosely around her torso advertised some punk band she didn’t really care about - it had been on sale! - matching well with her rough-and-tumble style. The faded jeans and bomber jacket that completed the look were perfect for the cooling weather.

Arendelle High School loomed ever closer. Anna gave the rock one final kick, as though sending it careening into the side of the building would make the pit in her stomach disappear.

Of course, it didn’t, but it was worth a shot.

Anna shoved open the double doors, stepping into the cool air of the hallway. Thankfully, there weren’t many other people around just yet. Kristoff had insisted they get there early so they could find where their classes were located and compare agendas and while Anna was still grumpy about having to wake up so early, she had to admit she was thankful for the opportunity to get her bearings. Their schedules had been given out a few days prior at orientation, but Kristoff and Anna had to miss it for soccer practice, so they were still in the dark about how their school year was shaping up to be.

Anna led the way to the counselor’s office, where their schedules were waiting. The door was open, but she knocked anyways just to be polite.

“Hoo-hoo!”

Taking that as an invitation, Anna and Kristoff entered.

It was a small room, but the decorated walls and sunlight shining from the windows made it feel open and comfortable. The paint job was a fairly dark shade of grey, and the desk at the center of the room was cluttered. A nameplate that read “Johan Oaken” rested, slightly askew, atop the many papers and pencils that were strewn about the surface.

“Ah, Mr. Bjorgman, Ms. Sobelman!” Mr. Oaken exclaimed kindly. “Here to pick up your schedules, no?”

Anna and Kristoff nodded in unison.

“Wonderful! I have them right here, one moment.” The man started shuffling papers around on his messy desk, nearly knocking over his nameplate.

Anna let her eyes wander about the room while they waited. There was a hand-sewn quilt was mounted proudly on the wall next to a picture of Mr. Oaken and what Anna could only assume was his soulmate, if the bright smiles and matching wedding rings the two men shared were any indication.

“Ah, here we go!” Mr. Oaken pulled out two slightly rumpled sheets of paper, handing them to their respective owners with a warm smile. “You two enjoy your first day of school!”

“Thank you Mr. Oaken,” Kristoff said, and Anna smiled.

“My pleasure. Don’t be strangers, now!”

The door closed behind the two with a small thud, but Anna paid it no mind as she eagerly read her schedule. “Yes!” She cheered, pointing to her first period. “I got Weselton for History again!”

“The Weasel?” Kristoff raised an eyebrow, shooting an inquisitive glance at Anna. “Why are you excited about that? The man’s a total nutjob!”

“That’s the point, Kris! His class is, like, ninety percent rambling and two percent teaching.”

“… I don’t think that math checks out.”

Anna waved him off. “Whatever! Either way, his class is pretty much impossible to fail.”

“Lucky,” Kristoff mumbled. “I got Mr. Jafar.”

“Blech.” Anna stuck her tongue out. “Good luck with that. I’ve heard he’s a harsh grader.”

The two took their time comparing classes. Anna was thrilled to find that she and Kristoff had four periods together- two per day, according to the odd way their classes were scheduled.

Arendelle High had been experimenting with class structure in the few years before Anna and Kristoff had started. The schedule that was in place when the two were freshman became the new norm: Mondays and Wednesdays were dubbed ‘green days’ and would have periods one through four. Similarly, Tuesdays and Thursdays, or ‘purple days,’ included periods five through eight. Lastly, Fridays would have all periods at a reduced class time - excluding period two, which of course was their mandated study hall time.

The principal, a dour woman by the name of Vanessa Ursula, had apparently come to the conclusion that this format was close enough. It had stuck, despite many complaints from students and teachers alike.

Anna didn’t particularly dislike the arrangement, although she thought the names of the days were pretty stupid. _‘Why in the hell Principal Ursula thought naming the days after colors would be a good idea is beyond me,’_ she thought with a scoff. _‘Since over half the school has no idea what ‘purple’ and ‘green’ even look like.’_

“Anna, check it out!”

Anna was brought back to reality as Kristoff grabbed her sleeve, causing her to stumble as he pulled her closer. He pointed at their shared math class. “We get a new math teacher this year!”

“No way!” Anna grabbed his paper, seeming to forget that the same information was written on her own sheet. Kristoff squawked as the schedule was torn from his hands.

Squinting at the paper, Anna trailed her finger across the surface until she reached the teacher listed for their fourth period. Sure enough, there was an unfamiliar name there. “E. Andersen,” Anna read aloud, after a moment of deciphering the letters. “Ha! Well, hot damn, we’re free of Mr. Waternoose!”

“Yeah,” Kristoff responded with a grin. Then he hesitated, his smile faltering. “Uhg, let’s just hope this new guy isn’t worse.”

“Pfft, worse than that dirtbag? That’s impossible, he was practically a monster.”

After talking a bit more about their schedules, Anna and Kristoff stopped by their respective lockers before going their separate ways. They still had to scope out their class locations which was easier done alone, so the siblings agreed to meet back up at the cafeteria when they were finished.

Anna found herself zoning out as she walked the halls of Arendelle High. Students were beginning to populate the school, adding a dull chatter to the background of Anna’s aimless thoughts. Autopilot switched on in Anna’s brain, guiding her smoothly as she located her classes. The teen didn’t dawdle, electing to simply put a visual to the room number on her paper and move on. She certainly wasn’t paying attention; not to the flocks of students, nor to the dark lockers, and not to the familiar head of light hair that just disappeared through that door-

_‘Hang on a second…’_

A tingle shot through Anna’s spine. She stopped dead in her tracks. The door the woman had entered was a few classrooms down from Anna, partially obscured by students flocking around the nearby lockers.

_‘Was that Beautiful Mystery Woman?’_ Anna recovered enough to walk, striding straight up to the door. _‘What’s she doing in-’_ she read the placard by the door. _‘The teacher’s lounge? Oh. Well, shit.’_

Sure enough, Anna caught a glimpse of her through the rectangular glass window. Her hair was tied up in an intricate looking braid, and she appeared to be wearing a light shade of lipstick. She laughed at something that another teacher said, the motion bringing a brightness to her face that Anna decided she loved.

_‘Uhg,’_ Anna thought, turning away from the door. _‘I should leave before I start drooling.’_

Taking one last glance at the woman behind through the glass, Anna quickly took off. She found her last few classes and trekked back to the cafeteria.

The room was crowded, filled with chatting friends and loitering teachers, all waiting for the day to begin. Anna scanned the masses, looking for the familiar heads of her friends.

“OI, FRECKLES!”

A loud, thickly Scottish voice rang out over the cafeteria noise, turning many heads. Anna’s eyes snapped to a table near the back where Kristoff and their friends apparently were, if Merida’s frantic waving was anything to go by. Kristoff was heavily face palming, and Ariel looked as though she'd love to disappear somewhere far away from the many eyes that were now on them.

Hiding a snicker behind her hand, Anna began pushing through the crowded room. She ignored the cruel laughs and jabs from Hans’ friends as she passed by their table, focusing only on the friendly faces she was headed for.

“Yer a slow one today, aintcha?” Merida teased as Anna sat down. “Thought classes would be over by the time ye got here.”

“What, did you miss me?”

“In yer dreams, freckles.”

The group shared a laugh. Anna could feel some of her anxiety leak away as she settled into the familiar back-and-forth with Merida. School might suck, but she was definitely glad to be back with her friends.

Anna was broken out of her thoughts as Ariel tried to get her attention, gently tapping on her elbow. She smiled at her friend, giving her an encouraging nod.

Ariel made a few quick movements with her hands; one with two closed fists in front of her chest, followed by a shorter one-handed gesture near her shoulder, then one last indication with her fingers in front of her forehead.

_“How was your Summer?”_

Though she was nowhere near fluent in sign language, Anna knew enough to understand the question. Ariel had managed to successfully teach her - and later, the rest of the group - most of the basics. Anna knew the girl would never say it, but she could tell Ariel much preferred ASL to writing on the small whiteboard she carried around for those who couldn’t understand her.

“It was pretty uneventful,” Anna answered. “Mostly just played soccer-”

“-and helped me with the truck,” Kristoff interjected.

“Yeah, and that. I take it you were kicking ass on the swim team?”

Merida snorted, cutting off whatever Ariel was going to sign. “Ye bet she was,” she said for her. “Apparently, she broke a record fer freestyle!”

“Wait, seriously? Ariel, that’s awesome!”

The quiet girl smiled sheepishly. _“Not big deal,”_ she signed. _“Lucky race.”_

Anna gaped at her friend, shaking her head. “You’re way too humble, you know that?”

Ariel just shrugged, but Anna could see the proud gleam in her eyes.

The group chatted more about their respective summers, falling back into the comfortable rhythm that Anna had missed so much. The four of them hadn’t gotten to hang out much over the break, mostly due to their overlapping sports schedules. Merida had been the busiest out of all of them; she was on track to join the olympics for archery, meaning that her training was even more intense than usual.

They had just finished comparing class schedules when the warning bell rang.

Anna looked up from Ariel’s class list, glancing around the room. Most of the students had already left the cafeteria. Unfortunately, that didn’t include Hans. He and his equally-as-douchey friends were still at their table across the room.

She glared when she met Hans’ eyes - apparently, he was already looking over at them. He returned the look just as hatefully before turning back around with a huff.

“We should get going,” Kristoff sighed, and Anna turned her attention back to him and the girls. “Don’t want to be late on the first day.”

The teens reluctantly gathered their things, exchanging hugs and promises to meet up for lunch later. Anna groaned as she slipped her backpack over her shoulder once again. She wasn’t looking forward to the year ahead.

**0-0-0-0-0**

Classes flew by for Anna, as they often did for the first day or two of school. Her teachers mostly just went over the syllabus and conducted ‘getting to know you’ activities, leaving the rest of the period for Anna to chat with friends or scroll aimlessly on her phone.

She shifted her backpack from one shoulder to the other, maneuvering easily through the throngs of students as she made her way to Kristoff’s English class. The two had decided to meet up there at the end of third period, as it was on the way to their shared fourth period.

Anna was pleasantly surprised to find that she had at least one friend in all of her classes, so far. _‘That’ll make this year a little more bearable,’_ she thought with a smile. _‘Although I do have to deal with Hans a lot more than I was hoping for.’_

Soon enough, Anna arrived outside Mr. Pleakly’s classroom. She didn’t have any trouble finding the room; she had him for English as well, albeit in a different period.

“Hey Anna,” Kristoff greeted her with a smile as she approached. “Uh, you got a little something…” He gestured briefly to his face.

Anna wiped the spot on her cheek that Kristoff indicated, unsurprised to find a smudge of chocolate on her finger when she brought it away. “Ah, thanks Kris,” she said, wiping the smudge on her jeans as the two began walking. “I just had Applied Cooking. Mrs. Rose brought in chocolates!

“And you didn’t save any for me?”

Anna rolled her eyes at the childish pout Kristoff was sporting. She reached into the pocket of her jacket, tossing him the small plastic baggie of chocolates she had stolen- er, borrowed.

“Aw sweet!” Kristoff dug into the treat eagerly, smearing even more chocolate on his face than Anna had. “So,” he said through his full mouth. “Excited to meet the new math teacher?”

“I don’t think ‘excited’ and ‘math’ fit in the same sentence,” Anna said, chuckling at her brother’s mess. “Although I’m definitely a bit curious.”

“Yeah, me too.” Kristoff finished his candy, stuffing the empty bag into his pocket. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Anna declined to mention that he still had smears of chocolate on his face, stifling a giggle at the odd looks from their classmates that he was oblivious to. “Guess we don’t have to wait much longer.”

Anna nodded as a familiar classroom came into view at the end of the hall. They were in the remedial wing of the school, where the so-called ‘slower’ students tended to reside. Grade-school esq pictures and reminders lined the walls, held up by thumb tacks on the peeling bulletin strips. They were insultingly childish, including cutesy animals, stupid rhymes, and - probably - bright colors.

Anna hated it.

The remedial program of Arendelle High was severely underfunded and woefully neglected. Teachers in the department tended to be apathetic to their students' needs, leaving them to struggle by themselves - including Anna and Kristoff’s sadist of a math teacher, who almost seemed like he enjoyed seeing his students fail.

Even the principal didn’t seem to give a shit, but that wasn’t exactly a surprise. Anger flared in Anna’s chest as she remembered the Principal’s words. _‘“Poor, unfortunate souls,” she called us. “Miserable, lonely, and depressed.”’_

Anna didn’t realize she was scowling until Kristoff tugged on one of her pigtails.

“Hey!”

“Jeez, you’re really spacey today,” Kristoff laughed as Anna swatted at him. “Just figured I should let you know that we’re here.”

“Ah,” Anna blinked. Yep, they were standing outside of their math class. “Yes. So we are.”

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. “Okay, weirdo.” He gestured to the door with his head, quietly indicating that they should probably stop just standing there and take their seats.

The pair entered, claiming two desks near the front of the classroom, despite Anna’s groan of protest. She’d much rather sit in the back row, away from the eyes of both the teacher and their classmates, but Kristoff always insisted that they wouldn’t be able to focus back there. He was right, of course, but that only made Anna grumble more.

Anna dropped her backpack to the ground beside her desk, unceremoniously kicking it under her seat as she sat down. She had to admit, the classroom already looked more inviting than it ever had, even if the decor was a bit dorky. Posters with math related puns and reminders adorned the walls, and the blinds were even open.

_‘“Not all math puns are terrible - just sum…”’_ Anna read one of the posters with a snort. _‘Okay, so the new guy is a total dweeb.’_

Speaking of the new guy, the teacher hadn’t arrived yet. Odd, given that the bell was about to ring. With no one to tell them not to, many students were loitering about the room, chatting with friends.

“Hm, late on the first day,” Kristoff commented from his seat to her left. “That bodes well.”

“True,” Anna hummed. “But he’s technically not late yet.”

The bell rang, signaling the start of class.

“Huh. I stand corrected.”

Just then, the door opened, and in walked a woman that Anna recognized instantly. She was carrying a few folders and she was sporting a pair of glasses, but the almost white hair and bright eyes were unmistakable.

Anna groaned internally. _‘Great. Beautiful Mystery Woman is my math teacher, because of course she is.’_ She tried not to look like she was staring, but if Kristoff’s shit-eating grin was any indication, she was definitely failing. _‘This year is gonna be torture.’_

“Hello everyone, please take your seats,” the woman - Ms. Andersen, if Anna remembered correctly - said, neatly setting the folders down on her desk. “I do apologize for my tardiness, I got a little held up retrieving a few things.”

Students mumbled, ambling slowly back to their desks. Ms. Andersen’s eyes swept the room, and Anna’s heartbeat stuttered as the teacher caught her gaze. The woman regarded her thoughtfully for a moment.

_‘Oh no, please don’t recognize me please please please-’_

Her lips quirked upwards in a near invisible smirk, but Anna knew it meant that she remembered their awkward little encounter. _‘Well, shit.’_

“Let’s get started, shall we?” Ms. Andersen walked up to the whiteboard. She picked up a dry-erase marker, the cap squeaking as she removed it and wrote her name on the board. “My name is Ms. Andersen. I’m going to take attendance, and then we can start reviewing the syllabus.”

Several groans resonated throughout the class, but the teacher ignored them. Anna’s eyes were still trained carefully on her as she sat down and pulled out the class list. She started reading off names, glancing up and around the room until she located each student.

“Aladdin Asfour.”

“Here.”

“Kristoff Bjorgman.”

“Here.”

Roll call continued uninterrupted. Anna waited patiently for her name to be called, simultaneously excited and terrified. Something about the woman saying her name had Anna anxiously buzzing with anticipation.

“Douglas MacGuffin.”

“Present.”

“Kenai Nanook.”

“Here.”

The teacher’s eyes briefly looked up, locking with Anna’s once more. Everything seemed to slow down; except for Anna’s heart rate, which only skyrocketed. It felt as though she and the other woman were the only two in the room.

“Anna Sobelman?”

“…”

There was no warning. It was like a flash of light, only it shone ten times brighter and felt a hundred times more intense. From the center of her vision and spilling outwards, something new appeared in Anna’s life. It was something radiant, something bright. Something alive and beautiful in a way that Anna had never seen before.

Anna’s breath hitched. Color, it was _color_ that splashed across her world, dousing the classroom and dyeing the faces of her peers. It was overwhelming in the best kind of way, robbing her of the ability to think as it graced her perception.

But there was one color, one hue in particular that stuck out; it fascinated Anna, making her chest thump in a startling way and sending butterflies ricocheting through her stomach.

_‘Is this… Is this what blue looks like?’_

She couldn’t explain how she knew, but when Anna met her teacher’s brilliant, shining eyes, she knew for certain that they were blue. They somehow reminded Anna of ice; deep, fractalled pools of frozen sunlight, crystallized into this stunning, glacial form.

And right now, those beautiful blue eyes were looking at her expectantly.

“Anna Sobelman?” The woman said for what Anna only just realized was a second time. Still baffled by the sudden expanse of vibrancy around her, Anna was more than a little caught off guard.

“Uh, h-hi,” she stuttered, still trying not to gape at the newly colored room. A ripple of laughter passed through the class, and Anna felt her face flush.

“… Hi,” Ms. Andersen said with a raised eyebrow. That smirk was back, those lips curved ever so slightly upwards.

Anna wanted very much for the floor to open up and swallow her whole. “Um, sorry- I-I mean, I’m here,” she managed to say as those piercing eyes continued to stare her down.

“… Right.”

Ms. Andersen gave Anna one last odd look - and Anna could have sworn she saw a flicker of amusement dance through her features - before continuing with attendance.

Kristoff gave her a curious glance, but Anna hardly noticed. The words of her teacher were muddled as she once again addressed the class. Anna could only focus on trying to control her rapid heartbeat. The full weight of what had just happened slammed into her, and hard.

_‘I just met my soulmate.’_

This was it; the biggest moment of a person’s life, the thing that every child dreams of. After years of hopes and fantasies; of fears and wishful thinking, it finally happened. She should be ecstatic - and for a moment, she was, but…

_‘She could get fired because of this,’_ Anna realized. _‘Because of_ me. _'_

Drawing her eyes away from her desk, Anna looked up at her soulmate - no, her _teacher,_ she reminded herself. A thick curtain of dread distinctly blocked out the joy that could have blossomed. Soulmate status didn’t hold up in court when minors were involved, or at least not in Arendelle. This woman was her teacher, and Anna was her student. That’s all anyone would see, soulmate or no.

_‘If I let this happen, if I pursue anything right now… It could really hurt her.'_ Anna gripped the sides of her desk, hands shaking, trying to keep the tears at bay. She was vaguely aware of some worksheet being passed out, but she couldn’t pay attention to it. Not now, not as the realization of what she had to do sunk in.

The next step was clear. All Anna could do was accept it with a grim certainty and intense heartache.

_‘She can’t know.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! >:)


	6. Chapter 4 (Anna): Smoke and Sunbeams

**Chapter 4 (Anna): Smoke and Sunbeams**

Anna was out of the truck, in the house, and up the stairs before her family could even say hello. The rest of class and the ride home, she had been mostly silent. Anna hated the worried look that had firmly settled onto Kristoff’s face, but she was too upset to really care.

Her door slammed shut. Anna paced the room, kicking aside dirty laundry and miscellaneous garbage as she tried to push away the growing despair in her chest. She felt like she was going to cry. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was supposed to be romantic, or magic, or anything but what this whole situation was. She shouldn’t feel this heaviness in her chest nor the frog in her throat. Everything was wrong.

The walls weren’t white anymore, her shirt wasn’t black, the bedspread wasn’t grey. Everything suddenly had so much more depth, but Anna couldn’t bring herself to appreciate it. Instead, the new colors around her only worsened her mood. This new beauty seemed inappropriate, clashing horribly with the awful emotions stirring inside of her.

Tears sprung to Anna’s eyes. She let out a frustrated growl, squeezing them shut. All the colors around her, colors she didn’t even have names for, she wanted them to disappear. She wanted to paint everything over, to drain the world of this elegance that she didn’t fit in with. She wanted to tear out her eyes and stomp on them until everything turned grey again.

And why not destroy that traitorous heart while she was at it? It thumped furiously against her chest, each beat a reminder of the mess she found herself in. Anna almost wished it would just stop beating altogether.

Another noise, almost a sob wrenched its way from Anna’s throat. She kicked her backpack, sending it flying into the wall with a _thunk._ The contents of her desk were her next target - they were swept onto the floor, clattering gracelessly across wood, but the noise was muted. Anna could only hear the blood roaring in her ears as she hurled her fist into the wall.

“SHIT!”

Anna cradled her hand against her chest. There was now a small dent in the wall; it was not the first, but the last one had been ages ago. Through her tears, she could see a deep bruise forming across her knuckles; not dark grey, as it used to be, but full of a surprising amount of hues and shades that she had never been able to notice before.

Dammit. Bruises had no right being that beautiful.

“Anna?”

The teen looked up. Kristoff stood cautiously at the door, eyes running over the disaster that was her room.

“H-hey, Kristoff…” Anna rubbed bitterly at her eyes with her uninjured hand, trying to vanquish the droplets still forming in her eyes. “I- um, I was just-”

Kristoff just shook his head. He came closer, stepping around the carnage until he reached Anna. His brow creased when he noticed the dark bruising on her fist.

Anna couldn’t look him in the eye. She didn’t even protest when he grabbed her lightly by the elbow and led her to the bathroom. He motioned for her to sit down on the closed seat of the toilet, pulling a first aid kit from the cabinet underneath the sink.

Sitting quietly, Anna watched Kristoff unzip the kit and pull out a tube of ointment. He uncapped the container and she winced a bit as he started to rub ointment onto the bruise.

It was a familiar scene. Whether it be from playing too rough as children, getting some kind of injury from soccer, or even one of the many fights Anna had been in, the siblings always patched each other up when the other needed it. This time, however, there were no playful jabs or lighthearted banter. The two merely sat in silence as Kristoff worked, neither wanting to be the first to tackle the elephant in the room.

Kristoff finished up with the ointment and wrapped Anna’s hand in a thin layer of gauze, securing it with medical tape. He packed up the first-aid kit and put it back beneath the sink, leaning against the porcelain heavily.

He sighed. “Anna, what’s going on?” When Anna didn’t respond, he continued. “You haven’t done this in a while… everyone’s worried about you.”

Anna still didn’t meet his eyes. She glanced nervously at the open door, where sounds from downstairs and across the hall could be heard.

“… Not here,” she whispered.

Kristoff looked conflicted, but he nodded tightly.

The two took the stairs together, Anna trailing close behind her brother. She could hear Bulda puttering about in the kitchen, sounds that not-so-inconspicuously stopped when they reached the landing. 

Cliff was quick to poke his head out of the den. The man was just as bulky as Kristoff, though shorter by a few inches. Choppy hair - blonde, if Anna guessed correctly - barely brushed his worried eyes. Anna often liked to joke that he was Kristoff’s long lost uncle or something; their similarities were rather uncanny given their lack of blood relation.

“Hey there, Anna banana.” Cliff leaned up against the open entryway with faux-casual grace. His words were playful, but his quick glance at Anna’s bandaged hand betrayed his concern. “You, uh, doing okay?”

_‘No.’_

Anna managed a shaky smile. “Just had a rough day, is all.”

She was startled when a small blur whipped out of the den and glommed on to her leg. Olaf blinked up at her with wide, dark eyes. “You look sad,” he said bluntly. He nuzzled his forehead against her thigh, trying to offer her support in his own little way.

“I- uh,” Anna swallowed thickly. Olaf was only six, he didn’t need to know about the turmoil in her mind. The frantic look she sent Kristoff was only returned with a shrug. She stroked Olaf’s hair gently, fumbling with her answer to his candid observation.

Luckily, she didn’t have to struggle much longer. Cliff stepped closer, putting a hand on Olaf’s shoulder and gently drawing him back. “Your sister’s just got a lot going on right now,” he provided.

“E-everything’s okay, though,” Anna added, sending Cliff a thankful look over the boy’s head.

Olaf stared at her for another moment. Anna could tell he wasn’t quite buying it. _‘The kid’s too empathetic for his own good,’_ she thought, flashing him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

Kristoff stepped closer, gesturing to the door with his head. “We’re going to head out for a bit,” he said. “Just need some air. We’ll be back for dinner.”

Cliff gave them a thumbs-up. “I’ll let Bulda know.”

Anna was fairly sure Bulda had been eavesdropping since they came downstairs, but she just nodded and let Kristoff guide her out the door. She could feel Olaf’s heavy gaze bore into her as they left.

**0-0-0-0-0**

There was a slight coldness in the air of the empty ArenCorp factory, as there almost always was. Even in the summer months, the abandoned building had an inexplicable chill about it. Perhaps it was fitting - the plant used to process and package ice for export, as Anna gathered from both the faded lettering above the main entry and the google search results that had appeared when she finally looked it up.

The factory had shut down suddenly and mysteriously many years ago. There were plans to tear it down - the building itself was old, having been around since Arendelle was founded - but they had long since been forgotten. After all, the plant was rather isolated. With a thicket of trees surrounding one side and a lake backing the other, the place was pretty forgettable; not to mention hard to get equipment out to.

Of course, the townsfolk loved speculating on the reason for the building’s unexpected closure. Rumors circulated about a worker who died on the factory floor, or of illegal waste dumping, or malpractice. The tales about spirits and hauntings were the most popular, if a bit outlandish.

The more likely story was that ArenCorp just wanted a shiny new facility, one with more modern equipment and a less inopportune location, but Anna liked the ghost stories better.

A heavy creak resonated through the room as Anna pushed the main doors open. Faded strips of severed caution tape fluttered from the door handles, announcing their entrance with a feeble flourish.

She and Kristoff had discovered the place not long after they met, and it had quickly become their secret hideout. Memories of shared laughter, of swimming in the lake and climbing on the old equipment echoed alongside their footsteps as the siblings walked the floor.

Anna pulled out the pack of cigarettes, toying restlessly with her lighter. She flicked it on, then off, then on again, only lighting her smoke to give her an excuse not to be talking. Sunbeams lit up the area, catching dust and smoke in their golden spell as Anna kicked at the floor.

Kristoff didn’t push, but Anna knew she owed him an explanation. Smoke wafted from her breath, her lungs pulling in drag after anxious drag.

“I met my soulmate.”

She forced the words out before she could talk herself out of it, trying to ignore the way Kristoff’s jaw dropped. He choked on his breath, stunned into silence. The poor guy clearly wasn’t expecting _that._

“Wait, wha-?! How did- Anna, t-that’s great-!” Kristoff was positively tongue-tied. “Who- hang on, _when?_ ”

“In-” The words caught in the back of Anna’s throat. Her eyes remained trained firmly on the concrete at their feet as she took a deep breath through her cigarette. “In math class today.”

“Math class?” Kristoff’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “But I didn’t hear anyone say your name.” He paused. “Well, except during roll…”

His eyes widened.

Cigarette finished, Anna crumpled the remainder of the stick against the metal of a nearby processing tank. She watched her brother carefully, the gears in his head almost visible as they turned.

“Oh. OH!”

Anna grabbed another cigarette from her pocket, lighting it swiftly and bringing it to her lips. She flicked the lighter on, then off again. “Yeah.”

“Wait but she’s-”

“ _Yeah._ ”

“… _Oh._ ” Kristoff sucked in a deep breath, coughing as he unintentionally inhaled a lungful of smoke. He peered at her through the smog and sunlight. “Uh… Shoot, that’s rough, buddy. What are you going to do?”

“I-I can’t tell her. Not yet,” Anna said, shoulders slumped dejectedly. “We graduate this year. I’ll wait, and I’ll tell her when it can’t hurt her.”

Kristoff looked taken aback. “You mean you’re going to go the entire school year without ever saying her name?”

“Guess so.”

“That’s…” Kristoff ran a hand through his hair. “That’s going to be a tough one.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

There was a brief silence.

“… I guess this means we can’t tell anyone else?”

Flicking ash to the floor, Anna shook her head. “The fewer people that know, the better,” she responded. “Less of a chance for word to get out.”

“I get it.” Her brother looked incredibly sorry for her, but he nodded. He tried to give Anna a smile. It turned out more like a grimace, but she appreciated the sentiment.

This was going to be rough. Anna had always been bad at keeping things from people. Even after all the trouble she’d gotten herself into, she never could get a grasp on lying. She was loud, impulsive, an open book by nature: very prone to slip-ups and secret-spilling.

And truth be told, Anna didn’t _want_ to keep this to herself. More than anything in the world, Anna wanted to get to know her soulmate. She wanted to see the look on her face when she said her name, to see those beautiful eyes light up and brighten her features. She wanted to learn everything about the other woman, to have a chance to fall in love and then to shout it from the rooftops.

She wanted to tell her family. Bulda would surely want to make her a cake, or chocolates, or something to celebrate. Cliff would probably pick her up and swing her around, like he did when Nani met David. Olaf and Lilo would badger her for details. Grand Pabbie would want to meet the lucky girl.

There would be smiles and hugs and happiness, but Anna couldn’t let that happen.

Taking in a shuddering breath, Anna tossed her second cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath her shoe. _‘It isn’t going to be easy, not by a long shot.’_ She felt just about close to tears again. _‘But I can do this. I have to.’_

_‘For her sake.’_

**0-0-0-0-0**

Later that night, as Anna lay awake staring at her ceiling, she heard the sound of paper rustling. She sat up on her bed, peering curiously through the darkness at the sheet being shoved under her door.

The paper landed, slightly askew, in front of her door. Kristoff’s ungraceful footsteps could be heard as he clunkily retreated back to his room.

Anna retrieved the paper quietly, tiptoeing through the dark then returning to her bed. The lamp on her nightstand turned on at the flick of a switch, illuminating her room just enough for her to see the sheet.

On the front of the paper was a color wheel. It was clearly segmented and labelled, and contained not just primary colors but a few variants and shades. The flip side of the sheet displayed neatly sorted squares of various colors, providing a further and more in depth look at each major color and its variants. There was a note at the bottom, scrawled in Kristoff’s messy handwriting:

_“I found this online. It’s called a ‘color thesaurus,’ supposed to help people who are new to color._

_You’re not doing this alone. I’m here for you. Just let me know what you need._

_-Kris :)”_

For the first time since that afternoon, Anna felt a genuine smile form on her face.

She took a moment to truly admire the colors. There were so many more than she was expecting. Anna stumbled on some of the words, but she powered through, eager to put a name to all the incredible colors she had heard so much about. Reds, pinks, and peaches flowed effortlessly into oranges and tans. Greens ranged from so dark they were nearly black, to bright almost-yellows. There wasn’t just purple; but lilac, lavender, violet, magenta. Every tone, every pigment looked almost alive, shimmering in the lamplight under Anna’s newly brightened gaze.

And boy, were there so, _so_ many kinds of blue! There was sky blue, sapphire blue, admiral blue: aegean, to royal, to turquoise. Cerulean and cyan and cobalt, crystal and columbia and cornflower. So many shades, so many hues! Except, there was one shade of blue that was notably missing:

_‘Her eyes…’_ Anna looked closer at the color thesaurus, tracing her finger lightly over the blue tones. Turns out, she was right about her determination from earlier that day, though that gorgeous shade of blue didn’t seem to have a match on the page.

She closed her eyes. The image of that sparkling blue was still strikingly clear in her head, and Anna was once again reminded of ice.

_‘I think I’ve found my favorite color.’_

It was her last thought before she fell asleep, a tiny smile adorning her lips. The paper was still clutched tightly in her hands, leading her dreams into sapphire oceans and royal ice caps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh nooooo I hope there isn't some sort of situation that forces Anna and Elsa to be around each other more :) that would just be sooooo awful!
> 
> Hehe... Anyways, all sarcastic allusions to future events aside, I hope you like this chapter! I've decided on one Elsa chapter for every one or two Anna chapters, depending on what the story requires. I sort of hate the asymmetry, but eh! If it works, it works.
> 
> Oh and Cliff absolutely pronounces "banana" so that it rhymes with how Anna's name is pronounced.
> 
> As always, I hope you guys are having a wonderful Monday!
> 
> ~Nopes


	7. Chapter 5 (Elsa): Surely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back, baby!

**Chapter 5 (Elsa): Surely**

The shrill peal of the bell reverberated throughout the room, and instantly, the quiet of Elsa’s classroom was shattered. Students were all too eager to get out and onto their final class of the day, rushing to gather their things and bolt.

“Don’t forget to turn in your pre-tests at my desk before you leave,” Elsa called as her seventh period vamoosed. “They may not count for a grade, but they’re still important!”

She got more than a few scoffs and eye-rolls, but by the time everyone had left Elsa had a small pile of papers at the corner of her desk. She smiled, pulling them towards her and neatly reordering the stack by alphabetical order.

Elsa was nothing if not efficient. It didn’t take long for her to grade each test, her neat handwriting scoring each page in dark ink as she put her free period to use. She hated to give her students a test so soon in the school year - it was only Thursday, after all - but Elsa needed to see what they needed the most help on.

_‘There’s no use in taking a shot in the dark,’_ she thought, swiftly marking the final paper. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. It seemed no matter how tightly she tied her bun, there were always strands coming loose, wisping by her ears and tickling her cheeks. _‘This way, I can tailor the curriculum to help them the most.’_

She shuffled the now-graded tests and returned them to the corner of her desk. Her classes had done better than she had expected them to, much to Elsa’s delight. The test wasn’t difficult, per se, but most of the students she had met so far didn’t exactly seem eager to give a multi-page surprise packet an honest try. But despite Elsa’s initial preconceptions, few scored below a passing grade; even if that grade was usually a low D. In fact, there was only one student that did noticeably poor.

… That is, if ‘noticeably poor’ was code for ‘absolutely atrocious.’

Elsa sighed, pulling open the drawer that held the graded tests for her ‘green day’ classes. At the top of the pile, written in chicken-scratch, was a name that was quickly becoming familiar to her.

“Out of fifty questions, she only got two right,” Elsa mumbled, gently taking Anna Sobelman’s test and spreading it out across her desk. Even Elsa’s low expectations hadn’t encompassed such an abysmal performance. Two correct answers gave Anna a grade of four percent, which was well below the cutoff from an F to a D. “The other failing students got at least ten correct…”

With a glance at the clock, Elsa put the test aside. She still had time left in her free period, and she’d rather spend it saying hello to her cousin than rereading Anna’s test.

Again.

_‘I’ll just keep an eye on her for now.’_ She stood, back popping as she stretched. _‘If she’s still struggling after next week, maybe she’d benefit from some extra help.’_

The walk to the nurse’s office was a quick one. Luckily, since class had started, there weren’t many people in the hall. A few stragglers here and there, but nobody spared Elsa a passing glance, much to her relief. She pushed open the double doors to the office, only to find that Rapunzel wasn’t alone.

_‘Well, speak of the devil…’_

There, in a seat by Rapunzel’s desk and holding an ice pack in her hand, was Anna Sobelman. It wasn’t hard to guess why she was in the clinic; her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she was in the standard Arendelle High gym uniform. Rapunzel was crouched next to her, dabbing at a small cut by the girl’s newly bruised eye with a cotton swab.

Rapunzel looked up as Elsa entered, letting the doors click shut behind her. “Oh, hey there, cuz!” She stood, tossing the damp cotton swab into the trash on her way over to Elsa. “What brings you over to my neck of the woods?”

“My last class of the day just finished up, so I thought I’d stop in and say hello,” Elsa replied, allowing her cousin to sweep her into a hug. “Although, I see you’re a little preoccupied,” she added, looking over to Anna with a friendly smile.

Anna looked very much like a deer in the headlights when Elsa caught her eyes over her cousin’s shoulder. She had to stifle a laugh as the teen hurriedly turned her gaze elsewhere, trying not to look embarrassed.

“Oh! Where are my manners!” Rapunzel released Elsa and turned back to Anna, who looked just about frozen to her seat. “I haven’t properly introduced you!”

_‘I’m guessing the poor thing is still embarrassed,’_ Elsa thought, not missing the way Anna seemed to be trying to hide behind her ice pack. Despite the girl’s best efforts, Elsa could clearly see the bright blush that had set her cheeks aflame.

“Actually, Anna is in one of my classes,” Elsa supplied, saving the girl from having to respond. “Fourth period, if I remember correctly.”

“Ah! Well, I’m glad you’re already acquainted. That’s perfect, actually,” Rapunzel said, clapping her hands together. She went back to her desk and pulled a paper sack from somewhere beneath it. “I can’t leave my post, obviously, but Eugene forgot his lunch. You two can take it to him for me!”

“Wha-? Rapunzel, I-”

“I know, you don’t have any idea where his office is,” Rapunzel interrupted, thrusting the bag into Elsa’s hands. “But that’s why this is perfect! His office is just inside the gym, and Anna here was about to get back to class over there anyways. She can show you the way, right Anna?”

If Anna was a deer in the headlights before, then the expression on her face indicated that she’d much rather be roadkill at this point. “I-I guess,” she squeaked, the phrase sounding more like a question than an answer.

That appeared to be all the affirmation that Rapunzel needed, though, as she was ushering them out the infirmary doors with little more than a “thank you guys, bye!”

There was a bit of a silence as Elsa’s brain - _‘And Anna’s too, probably,’_ she thought - tried to catch up. A quick glance at the frazzled girl next to her proved that theory correct. Anna was blankly staring into the hallway before them, the disorientation on her face almost laughable. _‘Welp, that’s Rapunzel for you, I guess,’_ Elsa thought, shaking her head. _‘That girl thinks too fast for me to keep up with sometimes.’_

The teacher neatened her suit jacket with one hand, Eugene’s lunch clasped in the other. “Well, we better get going, huh?”

Elsa’s words seemed to startled Anna out of whatever confusion-induced spell she was under. “Er, yeah,” she said, straightening and clearing her throat awkwardly. “Yup, excellent idea, let’s do that.” She took off, leaving a very perplexed Elsa to follow.

Identical doorway after identical doorway passed as the two walked in stiff silence. Elsa watched them pass, half attempting to track where they were going so she could find her way back later. Mostly, though, Elsa’s mind was focussed on Anna. Clearly, Anna was uncomfortable around her, that much was obvious to the teacher. But it was only the first week of school! How did that happen?

_‘It has to be from when we bumped into each other,’_ Elsa thought. _‘Right?’_

Yeah, that was probably it. There wasn’t any other explanation.

Satisfied with that answer, Elsa glanced once again at the girl walking by her side. She wasn’t expecting to see those wide eyes staring back at her. Even with the bruise darkening Anna’s face and swelling one eye nearly shut, Elsa could see… something reflected in her visage, something she could not put words to. But, true to form, Anna immediately snapped her gaze to the tiled floor, vanquishing the odd expression before Elsa could identify it.

_‘Hmm.’_ Pushing the brief expression from her thoughts for the time being, Elsa frowned. This awkwardness between them had gone on far too long for her liking. She couldn’t properly teach Anna if she was jumping out of her socks every time they talked to each other.

“I don’t bite, you know.”

Anna’s head snapped up. When she turned, finally meeting Elsa’s eyes for real, Elsa flashed her a grin that she hoped would reassure the teen that she was only joking. It seemed to work, as the next expression that slid onto Anna’s face was a bit more relaxed, if only slightly. “S-sorry,” she said, bringing a hand up to rub at her neck. “I’m just, uh…”

Elsa shook her head, once again saving Anna from attempting to stutter out some sort of explanation. “I get it,” she said. “You’re still embarrassed from our little run in before school started, yes?”

Anna flushed, but there was a hint of relief in her eyes. “Yeah, something like that,” she muttered, playing absentmindedly with the hem of her shirt.

“Well, then,” Elsa started, coming to a halt in the middle of the empty hall. Anna stopped just ahead of her, sending a curious look at the teacher. “Let’s start over.” She extended a hand - the one that wasn’t holding Eugene’s lunch - to Anna. “My name is Ms. Andersen. This is my first year at Arendelle Highschool, and I’ll be teaching your fourth period math class.”

The shocked look on the teen’s face soon melted into a genuine smile, the first Elsa had seen of her. She took Elsa’s proffered hand in her own, shaking it with an amiable politeness. “Good to meet you, Ms- uh, Ma’am.” Her hand was warm, her grip strong despite the slight verbal hiccup. “My name is Anna Sobelman. This is my fourth year at Arendelle High,” she added jokingly, her smile turning to a goofy grin that suited her far better than the nervous frown Elsa had mostly seen her with.

“Good to meet you, too,” Elsa replied with a small laugh, releasing the younger girl’s hand. Even with what little the teacher knew about Anna, she could already tell that the girl wasn’t the shy type; this image fit much better, one of someone who was playful and plucky.

The silence that befell them as they resumed their walk was much more comfortable than before. Elsa could tell that there was still some tension in the other girl’s gait, but they seemed to have made a connection, at the very least.

“Well, here we are,” Anna said as they approached the large double doors of Arendelle High’s upperclassmen gym. They were covered in black-and-white posters, each advertising different sports teams or clubs that the school ran. The teen held one door open for Elsa, leading them into a small vestibule. There was a single door to their left and another set of double doors straight ahead. A bulletin board took up the empty wall on their right, housing even more posters and what looked to be a few sign-up sheets. Elsa could hear the sounds of yells and laughter and shoes squeaking on linoleum echoing off the walls of the high-ceilinged room beyond them.

“Mr. Fitzherbert’s office is just through there,” Anna said, gesturing to the single door.

Elsa nodded. “Thank you for the help, Anna.”

“Ah, well, it was no problem,” Anna responded bashfully, kicking her shoes lightly against the dusty floor. Then, with a chuckle she added: “I don’t think Nurse Fitzherbert would have given me much of a choice, though.”

Elsa laughed. Another silence soon settled, and Elsa watched the girl glance from her shoes, to the door, then back to Elsa herself. It looked like she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t quite find the words. Elsa waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts, slipping her hands into the pockets of her slacks.

After a small moment of floundering, Anna spoke up again. “Um, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Uh,” Anna shuffled on her feet. “What’s the ‘E’ stand for?”

Elsa blinked. “Pardon?”

“O-on our class schedules, uh, the ones we’re given when the year starts, they list our teacher’s last names and first initial,” Anna elaborated. “Yours is ‘E.’ What’s it stand for?”

It was safe to say that the question caught Elsa a little off guard. Still, she smiled softly at Anna, who was looking at her expectantly.

“Elsa,” she said. “My name is Elsa.”

**0-0-0-0-0**

Eugene wasn’t in his office when Elsa entered. There wasn’t much room at his desk to sit - it was covered in papers and empty candy wrappers - so Elsa opted to lean against the far wall while she waited.

She didn’t have to wait long. Soon enough, Eugene came bounding into the room, face red and arms full of deflated soccer balls. He somehow didn’t notice Elsa as he kicked the door shut.

“Hey-”

“ACK!” The deflated soccer balls tumbled from his hands, hitting the floor with several dull thuds as Eugene flung himself into a defensive position. At the sound of Elsa’s bark of laughter, he relaxed, dropping the pose with an indignant sigh. “Jeez Elsa, you almost gave me a heart attack!”

“I was standing directly across from the door,” Elsa deadpanned. “I don’t think I could have been any less sneaky.”

“Well… Still!”

With a sigh, Elsa pushed off from the wall, setting the bagged lunch down by the desk as she crossed the room. “Do your students know you’re this klutzy?” She said, reaching down to help her cousin-in-law pick up the dropped sports equipment.

He huffed, blowing his dark hair from his face as he shot Elsa a playful frown. “Do _your_ students know you’re a jerk?”

Elsa snickered at the jab, but otherwise said nothing. This was a man who thought it was acceptable to wear ripped jeans and an unwashed t-shirt to work; she didn’t need to dignify him with a response.

To someone who didn’t know them, Elsa and Eugene appeared to constantly be at odds. And they were probably right, but it was a genuine rhythm to two shared. They had been friends since even before he and Rapunzel met; in fact, Elsa was the one to introduce him to her. Maybe they were an unlikely pair - quiet, reasonable, rule abiding Elsa and loud, foolish, felonious Eugene - but they had a mutual understanding of each other under the roughness of their friendship’s exterior.

‘Thick as thieves,’ Eugene would say.

‘I don’t think I like that comparison,’ Elsa would respond.

Eugene deposited the soccer balls into a small basket in the corner of the room, and Elsa followed in suit. There was a ball pump next to the basket - why Eugene needed to refill soccer balls in his office and not the equipment closet was beyond her, but she’d seen him do weirder things so she didn’t ask about it.

“So,” Eugene said, plopping himself into the battered chair at his desk. He brushed some candy wrappers onto the floor so he had room to clasp his hands together on the desk’s surface. “What brings the Ice Queen into my humble abode?”

Elsa rolled her eyes at her old highschool nickname. The moniker used to be something she loathed, but it had turned into somewhat of a joke between her and Eugene. “You forgot your lunch,” she replied, picking up the paper bag from where she had left it and handing it to her friend.

“Aww, sweetheart, you shouldn’t have.”

“I wouldn’t have, but your wife practically shoved me out the door before I could protest, _Eugene,_ ” Elsa retorted, emphasizing the name she knew he hated as she once again leaned back against one of the walls.

Eugene glared.

Elsa glared back.

…The staring contest only lasted a few seconds before Eugene broke out into his usual stupid grin, and Elsa dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“I’ve missed you, Ice Queen.”

“I missed you too, Eugene.” The two shared a smile, and Elsa sighed. She rested her head against the wall, casting her eyes towards the ceiling, which was somehow stained. Elsa made a mental note to ask Eugene about them later; there was likely a fun story attached.

By the time Elsa looked back to the desk, Eugene was already halfway through his lunch. Crumbs from the sandwich decorated both his goatee and the desk below. At Elsa’s disgusted look Eugene swallowed and brushed some of the crumbs off - they landed directly onto his shirt, though, so it wasn’t much of an improvement.

“The three of us should hang out sometime this week,” he suggested once his mouth wasn’t full. “With all the craziness getting ready for the school year, it’s been awhile since we’ve gotten the chance to catch up.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“It’ll be great,” he said, reaching for the last half of his sandwich. “I can bring Mulan, too. She’s really cool.”

Elsa’s heart dropped a bit at the idea. Another person, one that she didn’t know? That sounded a lot less fun than a night with just them and Rapunzel.

Her reluctance must have shown on her face, because Eugene let out a groan through his sandwich. “Elsaaaaa, you have to make new friends at some point.” His words were muffled from the food in his mouth, bits flying out as he spoke.

_‘How charming,’_ Elsa thought, frowning at his incorrigible table manners. “No I don’t,” she said aloud, trying to sound firm despite the growing pit in her stomach. Making friends didn’t work out very well last time…

“Just because it didn’t work out very well last time, doesn’t mean you have to swear off new people forever.”

_‘What, is he a mind reader now?’_ She scoffed, purposefully avoided his eyes, choosing instead to pick off nonexistent lint from her slacks. _‘I have a clean slate. I don’t want to ruin it.’_

Either Eugene was oblivious to her internal turmoil, or he was deliberately ignoring it, because he just kept on prodding. “C’mon, Elsa. Mulan is nice, I think you two would get along.”

Elsa grit her teeth. “No.”

“Please?”

“Not happening.”

“Pretty please?”

“ _No,_ Eugene.”

“Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplea-”

“Jeez, _fine!_ ” Elsa threw her hands up. “She can join if it’ll make you _stop talking._ ” Why did she even bother? They both knew that Eugene could annoy people into doing just about anything. That’s probably how he got Rapunzel to marry him.

The cheshire grin on Eugene’s face almost made Elsa change her mind. To his credit, though, he didn’t say another word.

**0-0-0-0-0**

By the time Elsa got home, she was exhausted. The first week of school had gone by quicker than she was expecting, and it wasn’t even Friday yet.

It wasn’t necessarily the school-related work that had Elsa so worn out. Grading tests, memorizing names, getting her classroom set up; that stuff was child’s play. The social aspect, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of crowded hallways, new faces, and unbearably chatty coworkers that left her head spinning.

With a tired groan, Elsa flopped face first onto her bed. She didn’t even bother removing her shoes properly, opting instead to push them off and let them fall to the floor as she lay, spread out on top of her comforter.

The bed was comfortable. The blankets were soft. Elsa almost thought she could fall asleep right there, still dressed in her work clothes.

But of course, now that her mind wasn’t occupied, Elsa’s thoughts began to wander to places that she really didn’t want to revisit.

_‘Honeymaren.’_

_‘Her smile. Her laugh.’_

_‘The look on her face when I told her the truth-’_

Elsa abruptly pushed herself off the mattress. She shook her head, as though jarring her brain hard enough would dislodge those infected memories; as though it would make her feel better.

It wouldn’t. She knew that.

Her legs were wobbly as she stood, making her way to her closet. At the very least, she needed to get into something more cozy than a power suit.

The act of changing into sweatpants and a t-shirt was hardly enough of a distraction, but at least now she could sulk comfortably. Elsa sighed heavily, plopping herself down at her desk. She flipped her laptop open. Maybe a movie would help take her mind of things.

As the computer booted up, Elsa’s eyes wandered about the room. Over the years, her room had served as a reliable place for her to be alone. As an introvert, having a place to recharge was crucial. And yes, it was the same room she grew up in; she still hadn’t moved out. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to. So, as with most people, Elsa's room changed with her. The cutesy, kid-type decor gradually turned to posters and fairy lights, which in turn transformed into the simple, plain walls Elsa had now. The twin mattress had been traded for a queen. The desk was added, and above it was the bulletin board that served as one of the light walls’ only decorations. The other was Elsa’s diploma and degree, which hung proudly next to the plain, grey door.

Her gaze eventually landed on her arms, now exposed by the cotton pajama shirt she had changed into. Elsa traced her fingers along the thin, white lines that criss crossed up and down her inner wrist. They were almost invisible against her pale, nearly sheet-white complexion; just about everybody missed them unless they were explicitly looking for them.

She wondered, absentmindedly, if the scars were easier to see in color.

_‘I hope not. I don’t need anyone asking where they came from.’_

Because if someone did ask, Elsa didn’t think she’d know how to answer. Rapunzel and Eugene were kind enough to pretend they didn’t see them, but Elsa knew that they knew. She saw the glances at her arm when they thought she wasn’t looking, the sympathetic look in their eyes.

_‘I know they want to say something,’_ she thought, picking at a loose thread in her pants. _‘Something supportive, or maybe something about Honeymaren.’_ They never did, much to Elsa’s relief; though she had a feeling that good luck wouldn’t last forever. Rapunzel was too chatty, Eugene was too tactless.

Finally, Elsa’s laptop finished loading, giving her an excuse not to think about things any longer. She immediately pulled up Netflix, picked something at random, and sat back in her chair, ready for a long night of ignoring those intrusive thoughts.

_‘I don’t need to think about her,’_ Elsa told herself as the intro of the movie played. _‘All I have to do is keep occupied, and eventually I’ll stop thinking about her.’_

With that thought, Elsa allowed herself to relax a bit, turning her full focus to the movie. The thoughts of her ex-girlfriend were still creeping just over her shoulder, lurking in the back of her mind like a poison that was slowly eating away at her conscience.

Ignoring it would surely work.

…Surely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends!
> 
> I want to apologize for the lack of updates over the past few weeks; as I’m sure many of you are aware, the COVID 19 situation has been getting quite… prominent in the US, and a lot of states have been going into quarantine over the past few weeks; including mine. Unfortunately, myself and several people in my immediate family are ranked at a higher risk of susceptibility to the virus, so we’ve been doing our best to prepare and keep ourselves (and those around us!) safe and healthy. I’ve had to temporarily uproot and move to a new location in order to be close to my loved ones - which turned out to be an excellent idea, seeing as my area has been issued a mandatory stay-at-home order. Sooooo, it’s been a little hectic around here, to say the least.
> 
> I should be back on schedule after this update, so stay tuned! More Elsanna fun, angst, and awkward Anna shenanigans are incoming. I even have a second fanfic that I’ve been cooking up, set in the cannonverse! Not sure when I’ll be posting it, but definitely something to look forward to :) I should have a lot more free time to write now that things are settling down a little in my household. After all, someone has to keep you all entertained while the world’s shut down!
> 
> Hope you all are okay. Don’t worry, I won’t be talking about the virus in my A/N’s after this - I know things are rough for a lot of people right now, and I think everyone could use a distraction, not a reminder.
> 
> I wish you the best, and I’ll see you next time!
> 
> ~Nopes


	8. Chapter 6 (Anna): School Daze

**Chapter 6 (Anna): School Daze**

Sweat beaded at Anna’s forehead, dripping down the side of her face as she stopped to catch her breath. She had her hands on her knees, but her head was up, eyes alert, tracking the ball as the scrimmage continued at the opposite end of the field. The defense was doing their job well, working as an impenetrable nuisance for the offense.

From across the field, Anna’s eyes locked with one of the defender’s - Jasmine - and she tensed, ready to roll.

Anna was in the zone; fully focused and fully at home.

She watched as one of the opposing offense tried to sweep the ball from Jasmine’s feet. The defender dodged, sliding the ball behind one ankle before tapping it into position for a kick.

The ball went soaring in Anna’s direction, flying over the heads of most of the players on the field. It skipped the midfield entirely, and soon was barreling towards the ground just past Anna. She sprung into action, braids flying behind her as she ran alongside the falling ball. Anna was on it in seconds, trapping it squarely in her possession.

Now that the ball was hers, she had no intention to share.

Anna smirked; this was almost too easy. She was a blur on the turf, leaving no room for the midfielders to catch up. The defense put up a good fight, but they too were no match for Anna as she wound up and slammed the inside of her foot into the ball. With one last valiant effort, the goalie leapt towards the ball, hands outstretched, but the ball slipped just past her fingertips, hitting the net with a light _swish._

“Woo!”

Anna pumped a celebratory fist in the air as the whistle blew, signalling the end of the game. It was just a practice match, but a win was a win in Anna’s book.

“Oof,” came a voice from somewhere below Anna. “Good game, Anna.”

“Same to you, Alice,” Anna grinned at the goalie, who was still on the ground in front of the goal. She offered her a hand, which was taken with a matching smile.

Their coach called them over to the sidelines with another blow of her whistle and a wave. “Alright, excellent practice, girls,” she said as the girls came off the field, Anna bringing up the rear with Alice. “This is the exact kind of fire we need to bring to the game next Saturday. I don’t think I need to remind you that we’re facing off against North Mountain, so bring your ‘A’ game!”

There were various nods and sounds of agreement from the team. They weren’t about to lose the first game of the season, even if it was against one of the best high school soccer teams in the area.

_‘We’re not too shabby either, though,’_ Anna thought proudly, her eyes scanning the determined faces of her teammates. Coach Li was still talking, something about the drills they had done earlier; Anna was only half listening. _‘I think this year we’ll finally beat them.’_

She tuned back in when it seemed like things were wrapping up.

“-so rest up, stay hydrated, and I’ll see you all bright and early on Sunday for another practice scrimmage!”

And with that, the team dispersed, chatting in small groups and pairs as they went their separate ways. Anna waved goodbye to her teammates, taking her time to pack up her soccer bag. Kristoff’s practice was still finishing up, so there was no need to rush. There was a slight breeze in the air, bringing a welcome chill to Anna’s hot skin. She sat beside her bag, turning her face up to the clouds, eyes half lidded.

The leaves were so much more beautiful than she ever could have expected. Fiery golds and oranges contrasted beautifully against the blue sky, which had just started to turn pink at the horizon. It hadn’t taken long for Anna to memorize the many, many names that each color had. She had never been one for studying, but the hues and shades of the world called to her, begging to be examined. Some of the words were completely ridiculous - ‘ _Chartreuse? How in the hell are you supposed to pronounce that?'_ \- but Kristoff had been helping her sound things out.

Anna’s mind wandered with the floating leaves, swaying mostly from color to color, simply taking in the gorgeous pigments all around her. She couldn’t help but notice, though, the one color she always came back to.

Blue.

Some sort of mix of azure and cerulean, in particular.

The color of a certain teacher’s eyes.

A small sigh escaped Anna’s lips, sounding halfway between longing and embarrassed. It had been a week since Anna had that awkward face time with her math teacher. Much to her relief, the woman had chalked up her awkwardness to their small encounter before school had started, unintentionally throwing Anna a life preserver. The excuse likely wouldn’t save her again, though; the blonde was perceptive, that much Anna was sure of.

What made things even harder was Anna’s decision to ask her quite possibly the worst thing she could have asked: her name.

_‘Elsa.’_

Sometimes, sitting up in her bed during the dark of the night, Anna would whisper the name to herself; like a tiny secret, one that she wouldn’t share with anyone until the trouble she posed to the woman was far behind her. Anna knew it was a mistake to ask her name. Of course it was, but she was so, _so_ curious. And she didn’t regret it; a part of her needed to know, even if it made sitting through her soulmate’s class all the more torturous.

“Hey,”

The sound of Kristoff’s voice jolted Anna from her thoughts. The sky had traded its late afternoon blues for a brilliant yellow and orange sunset, streaked with tinges of pink. Anna was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed.

“Heya, Kris.” Anna grabbed her soccer bag and stood, brushing the turf from her purple and white practice uniform.

Her brother smiled at her. “You ready to head out?”

“Yeah.”

The world was awash in a golden glow as the sun slowly drifted lower in the sky. This time of day never failed to take Anna’s breath away. In a weird way, it sort of reminded her of those old paint-by-number books she loved as a kid; like someone had misread all the numbers and accidentally - or perhaps by choice - painted the page entirely in shimmering gold.

_‘Man, I can’t wait until Kristoff can see this,’_ Anna thought, glancing at her brother as they walked. _‘He’s really gonna like color.’_

**0-0-0-0-0**

The cafeteria was as crowded as always, that morning. Anna and Kristoff were the first of their friends to arrive, settling into their usual table at the back. Anna’s red-orange braids lay across her plain, army green t-shirt; _‘Complimentary colors,’_ she noted upon choosing the shirt that morning. Her trusty bomber jacket was draped across the back of her chair. The morning was warmer than she expected, so she didn’t need to wear it just yet.

It didn’t take long for Merida and Ariel to join them. Ariel was in a baby blue sundress, almost the exact opposite of Merida’s black sweatshirt and ripped jeans.

Anna hid a smile behind her hand as her friends sat down at the table. _‘I still can’t believe Kristoff’s the only one who isn’t a redhead.’_ She had almost burst out laughing the first time she had seen Ariel and Merida in color. Now that she could see it, Kristoff’s blonde head stuck out like a sore thumb.

She couldn’t tease him about it while they were all together, though, seeing as Ariel and Merida didn’t know about her soulmate status.

Biting her lip, Anna kept up with the conversation despite the small bit of guilt worming its way into her stomach. She knew they were trustworthy. They were her best friends! And she knew they’d be hurt when they did find out - a person’s soulmate status was a big deal, after all - but it was a necessary precaution. The situation was delicate enough as is, Anna couldn’t afford any extra risks.

“Ay, Anna, heard yer team is up against North Mountain next week.” Merida said, nudging Anna under the table with her foot from her spot across from her.

“Sure are,” Anna replied, nudging her back, gladly taking the excuse to not think about her soulmate status. “You guys are going to come watch, right?”

Merida nodded, and Ariel scribbled on her whiteboard for a second before holding it up for Anna to see: _“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”_

The four continued to chat for a bit, the topic bouncing from sports, to school, to how Kristoff really needed to wash that old beanie that he never stopped wearing. He took the nagging good naturedly, teasing back about Merida’s ratty sweatshirt.

Despite the animated conversation, Anna couldn’t help but notice something slightly off from their usual morning routine. Unless Anna was reading too far into things, she could swear Ariel seemed a bit distracted. The silent girl was nodding along, but she didn’t really seem to be paying attention. She kept glancing up, her eyes darting somewhere behind Anna and Kristoff.

_‘What in the world does she keep looking at?’_

Apparently, Anna wasn’t the only one to see it. Merida was starting to notice as well. The scot peered closely at the quiet girl, then glanced up, following her gaze over to that spot she kept looking at.

“Ariel,” Merida started, “why do ye keep lookin’ over at Hans’ and his crew of dimwits?”

Ariel burst out into a bright red blush, one that matched the red of her hair quite closely. She waved a hand frantically, trying to give the impression that it wasn’t anything worth mentioning.

Anna raised an eyebrow. She knew Ariel better than that - there was clearly something up. She shifted in her seat so she could look over at the table that housed the five people she hated most in the world: Hans, Phillip, Eric, Aladdin, Adam. Or, as she liked to call them, the ‘Douche Squad.’

“Are they giving you trouble again?” The worried tone in Kristoff’s voice was well warranted. Hans’ group seemed to be formed on the mutual love of being complete jerks.

“Oi, if that’s the case, I’d be happy to go over n’ teach them a lesson,” Merida said hotly.

“Me too, Ariel, just say the word,” Anna added, turning back to face her friend.

Ariel’s blush only seemed to worsen at everyone’s joint concern. She shook her head, hurriedly writing on her whiteboard.

_“NO no no they aren’t being mean to me everything is fine let’s just drop it please!”_

The words were rushed, written in an embarrassed scrawl, so it took Anna a minute to decipher. Once she had figured out what most of the words said, she sent Ariel a skeptical look. “Are you sure?”

If the scoff from Merida was any indication, she wasn’t buying a word of it. “I know yer a pacifist, Ariel, but they can’t keep pushing you around.”

Kristoff nodded in agreement. He looked like he was about to say something, but Ariel was already scribbling something else onto her whiteboard. Whatever it was, Merida read it over her shoulder and scoffed again.

“Ariel, ye can’t be serious-”

Ariel hit Merida lightly on the shoulder, frowning. She then swatted at Kristoff, who was trying to lean over and read her whiteboard upside-down.

While the three of her friends were still squabbling, Anna looked back to look at Hans’ table. For once, they actually didn’t seem to be paying them any attention. She watched them for a moment, waiting. For what, she didn’t know, but Anna figured she’d know it when she saw it.

And sure enough, she did.

One of the boys glanced up. His eyes darted over to Ariel, but there wasn’t any malice in his gaze, and he wasn’t participating in the conversation his friends were having. Anna couldn’t help but think that he looked like a bit of a puppy with those big, dumb blue-grey eyes and dopey smile.

Once he realized he was being watched, Eric stiffened, meeting Anna’s gaze in frozen shock.

Anna squinted at him. _‘This is one of Hans’ guys,’_ she thought bitterly. _‘What’s_ he _want with Ariel?’_

However, much to Anna’s shock, instead of scowling like she expected him to, he smiled. And it wasn’t even a mean one! It was a sheepish expression, accompanied by a small wave, and it was over just as quickly as it had begun. He glanced once more at Ariel, then turned away.

Anna turned back to her friends, who were still fighting over whatever Ariel had written on her whiteboard.

“Hey- _hey,_ everyone shut up!” Once she had everybody's attention, Anna met Ariel’s eyes. “Ariel, would this happen to have something to do with Eric?” she sighed, gesturing with her thumb over her shoulder.

Ariel pursed her lips. She pulled at a lock of her long hair, raking her fingers through the strands before looking back up at her friends. _“Eric is in my art class,”_ she signed. _“Very nice by himself. Treats me like I’m normal.”_

There was a stunned silence as the information sunk in.

Of course, being the bumbling klutz that he was, Kristoff was the first to crudely break the quiet.

“He talks to you?”

Anna punched Kristoff in the arm, for obvious reasons. “Real freaking sensitive, dude!”

But Ariel was laughing, so that was a good sign. _“It’s okay,”_ she signed, her expression showing no acrimony at Kristoff’s tactless question. _“He writes. So I don’t feel alone.”_

Kristoff ‘aww’d’, which earned him another punch from Anna. “Ow! What was that one for?” He complained, shoving her back.

“That one was for being a dumbass,” Anna replied. “This is still one of the guy’s who’s been making our lives miserable for years!” When Ariel sunk a bit in her seat, Anna sighed again. She reached over to her friend, laying a hand on her arm. “I-I believe you, Ariel. I just… I don’t want him to hurt you.”

“Me neither.” Merida added grimly. She pulled Ariel into a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry fer overreacting, Ariel. Just be careful, I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him.”

Ariel leaned into the hug. _“You don’t need to trust him,”_ was her response. _“Trust me.”_

And with that, the matter was dropped, just in time for the bell to ring.

**0-0-0-0-0**

It may have been a Friday, but Anna was straight up not having a good time. The shorter class times should have made it a better day, but instead every teacher was taking the opportunity to pass back assignments and review grades.

Shock of all shocks: Anna wasn’t doing very well.

She was seated next to Kristoff in their Macro Biology class. Anna had no interest in the subject, but Kristoff had practically begged her to take it with him so he wouldn’t be alone. Anna agreed, mostly because she knew Kristoff had a knack for anything animal related, which was what the class mainly concentrated on. Unfortunately for both of them, Hans was in the class as well, seated at the desk just in front of Kristoff.

Their teacher was jovially handing back their most recent graded homework. “Almost everyone did swimmingly,” the old british woman said with a smile. She started to pass back each paper individually, making her way down the first column of desks at the opposite side of the room from Anna and Kristoff.

“ _Almost_ everyone, huh?” Hans turned around in his seat and smirked at Anna. “I’ve got a feeling I know who that ‘almost’ is.” The brown and orange sweater vest he was wearing went surprisingly well with his auburn hair, but the dorky bow tie wasn’t doing him any favors. Anna figured his mom still picked his clothes for him, but nobody questioned it because he was so rich.

“Shut the hell up, choirboy,” Kristoff grumbled, sending him a glare that matched his sister’s.

“I doubt you did any better, oaf.”

Anna was about to strangle him with his stupid bow tie when the teacher rounded the room to their cluster of desks.

Mrs. Porter handed out their assignments; first Hans’, then Kristoff’s, then Anna’s. Anna accepted her assignment, which was handed to her face-down, with a silent groan. When she flipped it over, her measly 1/20 score was written in the top in depressing, red ink.

_‘Just perfect. Week two of senior year and I’m already drowning.’_

“Yikes.” Kristoff leaned over her shoulder, reading her grade with a sympathetic look on his face. He didn’t see the shit-eating grin that Hans gave her before turning back around. “Uh… better luck next time?”

Anna let her head fall into her hands. “Please tell me you somehow did worse.”

“Er, no can do.” He slipped his paper over, his 19/20 proudly displayed at the top. “Um, sorry.”

Anna just groaned again, returning her face to her hands.

_‘How in the hell did Kristoff and I get such different scores? We did this worksheet together,’_ she wondered glumly. She was definitely happy for her brother, but they should have gotten the same score. It was a multiple choice assignment, for crying out loud! Anna squinted at her paper, but she still couldn’t figure out where she went wrong. The words seemed to shimmer on the page in front of her, jumping and mixing like they always did. She couldn’t even manage to read the teacher’s notes through all the confusion.

_‘I’ve gotta be a special kind of stupid to keep fucking up this bad.’_

The year had hardly started and Anna was already rocking straight F’s and D’s. Well, except for her art and cooking classes, but those didn’t count. _‘I don’t need to be a genius to make cookies,’_ she thought. _‘Or a cool-looking sculpture.’_

The rest of the class dragged on endlessly. Anna couldn’t find the willpower to focus. Why bother? Mrs. Porter was writing notes she couldn’t read, about a subject she didn’t understand, handing out homework she’d only fail. It was always like this, year after year, class after class; Anna lagging behind all of her peers.

When the bell rang, Anna didn’t get up right away. It took a nudge from Kristoff to spur her into grabbing her things. They walked from the classroom together, but Anna stopped just outside the doorway. Hans was already gone, allowing them a small reprieve from his presence.

“Uh, you go on ahead,” Anna said, shuffling her feet. “I’ll catch up.” They were supposed to be heading to their shared eighth period gym class, but Anna suddenly didn’t feel like being around a bunch of people, even if they were her friends.

Kristoff gave her a worried look. Seemed like he was giving her a lot of those, lately. “You okay? I can skip with you, if you want.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine. Just tell Coach I was sick or something.”

“... Okay,” he replied uncertainly.

Anna gave him a little wave, then started walking in the opposite direction.

She needed a smoke.

**0-0-0-0-0**

The weekend went by much quicker than Anna would have liked. Her Saturday was spent looking after Lilo and Olaf while Bulda and Kristoff ran errands. Russell had moved out the weekend before, so she was also tasked with sprucing up the guest room for whichever lost soul that wandered in next. Sunday was another practice game with her soccer team. All in all, a relatively quiet weekend for Anna Sobelman.

Anna dragged her feet as she walked. Kristoff matched her pace, shortening his long strides so his sister wouldn’t be left behind. The dumb kiddie decorations of the remedial hall made Anna scowl. She had been right about the colors; they were just as sickeningly childish as she had imagined.

She took a small bit of satisfaction in tearing a goofy-looking cartoon lion off one of the bulletin strips as she walked. She tore its head from its body and crumpled both pieces, stuffing them into a pocket of her bomber jacket.

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. “What did that lion ever do to you?”

“He was too happy,” Anna responded.

“Well, that’s not very nice.”

“Shut up, softie.”

The two entered the classroom together. Anna tossed the dissected lion into the trashcan on her way to their desks. The spots she and Kristoff chose on the first day of school had become mandatory, and Anna was painfully aware of just how close she was to Elsa’s desk.

Anna slid into her seat, trying to slow her racing heartbeat. Ms. Andersen gave her a smile from her desk, which Anna returned as casually as possible, even though it made her palms sweat. The room buzzed with chatter, everybody getting in some last minute conversation before class began.

The bell rang, and the class quieted down as Ms. Andersen walked up to the whiteboard. “Today, we are going to continue our discussion on algebraic equations from last week,” she said, picking up a dry-erase marker.

Kristoff got out a piece of paper, presumably for notes. Anna did the same, but only to look busy. She knew nothing she wrote down would make sense, anyways.

“For now, we’ll be focussing on monomial equations.” Elsa wrote out a bunch of mathy mumbo-jumbo and underlined it, then wrote out something even more complicated-looking next to it. There weren’t just numbers, but letters as well. She pointed to the complicated stuff. “Polynomials will be on your SATs, but we’ll get to those much later, this year.”

The lesson began in full. Elsa gestured as she spoke, probably explaining something important, but Anna just couldn’t follow along. She tried to pay attention - she really did, but the numbers on the board kept shifting and Elsa’s voice was _super_ pretty and those glasses were so cute and _‘oh crap there’s so many numbers on the board, how did that happen?’_

Anna blinked, trying to decipher the enigma written in dry-erase marker, but it was damn near impossible. She huffed, drawing out nonsensical shapes that vaguely resembled numbers onto her scratch paper.

Pretty soon, the lesson half of the class was over. Elsa passed out a worksheet that was, much to Anna’s dismay, full of those weird part-letter-part-number problems. Why the hell math suddenly had letters was baffling to Anna, but what was she supposed to do? Ask for help?

Yeah, right. That wasn’t going to happen.

Anna glanced to her left. Kristoff had already started on the worksheet, diligently plugging numbers into his calculator and scribbling down answers. She leaned over, trying to copy down what he was writing, but his handwriting was even worse than hers, rendering the paper unreadable.

With a huff, Anna stared back down at her empty paper. _‘Well, this sucks,’_ she thought, not for the first time. _‘Of all the subjects my soulmate could teach, it had to be the worst one ever! All I’m gonna do is humiliate myself every time I turn in an assignment.’_

Anna tried to work on the first problem, but she only ended up getting frustrated. She just wanted to tear the paper up and toss it into the trash with that poor paper lion.

Eventually, students started to get antsy, the bell only minutes away from ringing. There was a pile of completed classwork on Elsa’s desk, and Anna was positive it was mocking her. _‘I’m pretty sure Kristoff and I are the only ones who haven’t turned in our papers yet.’_

Kristoff got up, walking quietly over to the teacher’s desk. He placed his paper neatly at the top of the pile, then returned to his seat.

_‘Welp. Guess it’s just me, then.’_

Finally, the bell rang, bringing with it all the noise and conversation that the teens were holding back during class. Students flocked to the door, leaving a few stragglers, including Anna and Kristoff, behind to pack up.

Anna sighed, grabbing her backpack from beside her desk. She stood, Kristoff following in suit. They were just starting for the door when the voice of her teacher made Anna freeze.

“Ah, Anna,” Ms. Andersen called. “Could I speak with you privately for a moment?”

“Um…” Anna sent a panicked look to Kristoff, her expression screaming _‘please get me out of this!’_

Either Kristoff was terrible at reading looks, or he was throwing his sister under the bus on purpose. “I can meet you at the truck,” he said. His own expression responded to Anna’s with a quiet _‘you have to talk to her at some point.’_

So, definitely on purpose, then.

“Great,” Anna bit through gritted teeth as Kristoff made a hasty retreat. He sent her one last wave over his shoulder before he disappeared out the door. With a sigh, Anna turned to face her teacher. “Um, what’s up, teach’?”

Elsa smiled at her, seemingly oblivious to the silent back and forth between Anna and her brother. “Take a seat, please,” she said, gesturing to the plastic chair in front of her desk. “I’d like to talk to you about your grades in my class.”

Anna’s heart sunk. _‘Great. Perfect. My soulmate wants to talk about how stupid I am. How wonderful.’_

Reluctantly, Anna sat in the chair across from her teacher. She held her hands tensely in her lap. Quietly, Anna waited for whatever admonishment the woman was about to give her.

But none came.

“Anna.” Elsa’s voice was soft, her expression even softer. “Please relax. You aren’t in trouble.”

“I’m not?”

“Of course not,” the teacher replied with a small chuckle. She clasped her hands loosely atop the desk. “I can see that math isn’t your best subject,” she said gently. “But that isn’t anything to reprimand you for.”

“Oh,” was Anna’s shocked reply. Usually teachers weren’t this patient. “Uh, cool, I guess.” She hesitated, scrunching her eyebrows together. “Wait, then why did you want to talk about my grades?”

“Well, it’s my job to make sure you’re absorbing the material.” The teacher tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Clearly you don’t learn well in a classroom environment, so I was thinking that you would benefit from a more one-on-one approach.”

“One-on-one?” Anna bit the inside of her cheek. _‘Oh no. She better not be about to say what I think she’s going to say_.’

But, for better or for worse, Elsa nodded. “If you’re available after school, perhaps I could tutor you? Say, twice a week?”

_‘Shit.’_

Anna’s heart was hammering in her chest. This was bad. She couldn’t refuse, could she? On one hand, it was clear that Elsa expected her to agree. But on the other, she had phrased it like she was giving her a choice - like she was asking Anna. So, that meant it was okay to say no, right?

Right.

She could say no.

She _should_ say no.

…

So why on earth did Anna find herself saying yes?

“Um, yeah, that sounds good.”

Elsa smiled delightedly, eyes bright and sparkling.

_‘Oh. That's why.’_

Anna’s mind was foggy as she relayed her schedule to Elsa, coordinating a time for them to meet up. The butterflies in her stomach were a swarm, fluttering along with the frantic beating in her chest. By the time Anna shouldered her backpack, waved goodbye, and left the classroom, she was fully starting to regret her decision.

The redhead slapped her palm firmly to her forehead. _‘Shit.’_ She forced her feet to move, carrying her shakily through the now-empty halls.

_‘What did I just get myself into?’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooo, the plot thickens! I would say I feel bad for Anna, but... I don't >:)
> 
> Pardon the time skips in this chapter, I couldn't really think of a more elegant way to organize things while still getting in all the things that needed to happen.
> 
> Next chapter: Anna suffers through her first tutoring session with Elsa! I wonder how that will go? :3
> 
> Hope y'all are having a good week!
> 
> ~Nopes


	9. Chapter 7 (Anna): Half Truths and True Loves

**Chapter 7 (Anna):** **Half Truths and True Loves**

Anna pushed the food on her plate around, trying not to look too distracted. She didn’t really feel like eating.

Various conversations continued on at the dinner table, as lively as usual. “We just started learning about deciduous forest animals,” Kristoff was explaining excitedly to Grand Pabbie. “Mainly mammals, but there's also way more different types of insect life than I thought-”

Her brother’s ramblings made Anna smile slightly. Kristoff made their biology class look almost easy. Of course all those scientific names and categories flew over Anna’s head, but it was nice to see him so passionate.

Kristoff’s animated dialogue was only one part of the dinner’s clamor. Olaf was happily humming a little tune as he ate, messily shoveling spaghetti into his mouth and Cliff had a paper towel in his hand, trying to get the six-year-old's hands and face clean; meanwhile, Bulda was trying to convince Lilo that going to school in her alien onesie was a bad idea.

Anna was only half listening, occasionally adding a word here and there so nobody noticed her quietness. Her mind was elsewhere, tuning in every now again, but mostly her thoughts only fed the growing pit in her stomach.

_‘Tutoring. Twice a week,’_ Anna silently lamented. _‘With. My. SOULMATE.’_

Things were about to be a whole hell of a lot harder, and Anna only had herself to blame.

The chatter showed no signs of slowing, but everybody was just about done eating. Grand Pabbie rose from his chair, grabbing his empty plate in one hand and his cane in the other. “Well, I’m going to get started on the dishes,” he said. “Anna, come give me a hand.”

“Okay,” Anna responded, forcing herself to sound chipper. She grabbed her own plate, which was still half full, and followed Pabbie into the kitchen.

The two were quiet as they worked. Anna rinsed and washed, then handed each dish to Pabbie to be put into the dishwasher. She focused only on the task at hand, shoving her thoughts to the corners of her brain. Anna had a terrible poker face - Pabbie would know something was up if she kept on ruminating.

“Something on your mind, Anna?”

_‘Son of a-!’_ Anna huffed, pausing her scrubbing, the pit in her stomach feeling somehow more apparent than before. Grand Pabbie remained silent, allowing Anna time to sort through her thoughts, a gesture she was grateful for. He was a comforting presence as she tried to figure out how to proceed. She hated lying to her family. They had helped her through so much and she knew they’d be happy to support her through this hapless circumstance as well, but she couldn’t risk telling them the truth.

… So, maybe a half truth would do.

“I’m starting tutoring,” Anna finally said, picking back up where she left off with the dishes. “In math.” The grip she had on the plate she was washing was much tighter than necessary. She had no doubt that Pabbie would pick up on her tension, but she couldn’t force herself to relax.

“You’re nervous, I take it?”

“Yeah. I-” Anna faltered. “I just- yeah.”

Pabbie nodded, seeming to understand her despite her less-than-eloquent wording. “When do you start?” He asked, taking the plate from Anna and placing it in the dishwasher.

Anna started on the pot that had been used for the spaghetti sauce. The water turned a gross reddish color as she rinsed the residual foodstuff from the silver surface. “Day after tomorrow,” she responded, squeezing a glob of dish soap into the pot. “It’ll be after school on Wednesdays and Fridays.”

“Quite the busy schedule you’ve got there, hm?”

It was true, Anna had a very full calendar; every day of the week, now, she had something to do after school. Monday and Wednesday were soccer practice, with Wednesday’s meetup being later in the evening. Tuesdays and Thursdays were set aside for the upcoming pee-wee soccer season, in which Anna had landed a part-time job in the Fall and Spring. And now, of course, tutoring on Wednesdays and Fridays, directly after school.

“Yeah,” she replied with a small laugh as she rinsed the soapy bubbles from the pot before handing it to Pabbie. “Guess so.” Anna leaned up against the counter beside the sink.

Pabbie leaned forward, resting solidly on his cane. His dark eyes were serious. “It's not just the tutoring that’s got you all in a tizzy, is it?”

Anna swallowed thickly. She shook her head, sighing lightly as she grasped for the right words to say.

A half truth. She just had to tell a half truth.

“We have a new math teacher.” Anna’s voice was quiet, her eyes on the ground. “She’s- um, she’s pretty cool,” she continued, trying to keep her tone even. She needed to play this cool, which meant fighting back that blush and tramping down on the butterflies currently flooding her stomach. “I-I guess I sort of want to impress her, but that’s a little hard to do when she’s seeing how stupi- er… how _slow_ I am up close.”

Anxious fingers drummed against the countertop as Anna waited for a response. She was only a little surprised when a sturdy hand came to land gently on her shoulder. Pabbie was about a head shorter than her so he had to reach a bit, but the comforting touch did its job nonetheless.

“Everybody has their own strengths. Math may not be yours, but that doesn’t make you stupid,” Pabbie said. His gruff voice was caring, his bushy grey eyebrows drawn together. “And from the sound of it, your teacher won’t think so either. It’s her job to help you, not judge you.”

“Yeah. You’re right,” Anna sighed, relaxing a little bit. “Thank you, Pabbie.”

The old man gave her one last affectionate pat before retracting his hand. He smiled and turned, starting back towards the dining room to grab more dishes.

A half truth. It wasn’t much, but the weight on Anna’s shoulders somehow felt a little bit lighter.

**0-0-0-0-0**

Before Anna knew it, Wednesday had arrived, a heavy storm of dread following her throughout the day. _‘Why is it that time only goes by quickly when you don’t want it to?’_ Her stomach was in knots as she sat, fidgeting, in Ms. Andersen’s class. The clock on the wall ticked much faster than she would have liked - Anna couldn’t actually read the damn thing, but she was pretty sure it was getting close to the end of class - counting down the minutes until the moment she had been anxiously awaiting since Monday.

It was a dangerous game she was playing; balancing that inherent longing to be around the person she was cosmically destined to love, while also keeping enough distance so that Elsa didn’t find out… The duality of the situation was a challenge for a bull-headed, loudmouth like Anna, but she couldn’t help the tiny flicker of delight that she felt, knowing she got to spend time with her soulmate, even if it was overshadowed by apprehension.

The clock continued ticking. The whiteboard was once again covered in numerical nonsense that Anna couldn’t even begin to try and understand.

Since learning anything from this lesson was clearly a lost cause, Anna focussed more on Elsa herself. _‘I think whatever deity that made this happen is laughing at me,’_ Anna thought, biting her lip lightly. The teacher was talking and writing and pointing, but Anna was paying more attention to her platinum blonde hair, her pink lips, the light blue blazer and slacks that accentuated those curves - which the teen was trying not to drool over. _‘This whole situation is like some kind of ridiculous fanfic or something.’_

A quick glance around the class made the time apparent. Everyone was getting restless, and some had already started packing up.

Elsa seemed to notice as well, for she capped her dry-erase marker and set it down. “Alright, I guess that’s all we have time for today,” she said, adjusting her glasses. “Your homework will be problems 1 through 20 on page 167. Feel free to stop by anytime if you have questions.”

With impeccable timing, the bell rang, dismissing everyone for the day. Anna packed her bag slowly, trying to draw out the time until the inevitable. She watched as Elsa walked back to her desk and pulled out the class textbook.

The teacher looked up, catching Anna’s eyes and sending her a smile. Anna returned it shakily, then snapped her gaze back to her desk.

Kristoff gave her a sympathetic look as he stood, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “I’ll see you in an hour.” He leaned in to give Anna a hug. “Good luck,” he whispered as they parted.

Then, with one last goofy wave, Kristoff left, leaving Anna alone with her soulmate.

Elsa gave her a wave. “Here, sit down,” she said, gesturing to the same plastic chair as before, which - much to Anna’s dismay - had been moved so that they would be side-by-side.

Groaning internally, Anna complied, setting her backpack between her feet. Being this close, she could smell the light perfume the teacher was wearing.

_‘Oh, that’s pretty… Wait, shit, stop thinking about her perfume, fuck!’_

Anna subtly scooched her chair so that there was some more room between them. At this rate, she wouldn’t last two minutes, much less an hour.

“Alright,” Elsa said, clasping her hands atop the desk. “Let’s start with what you know. Can I see any notes you’ve taken?”

“Um… Okay.” Anna bit her lip. “Good luck reading them though,” she added in a mumble, reaching for her backpack.

The bag was a mess. There was one main pocket and one smaller pocket, both filled with junk. Empty candy wrappers, crumpled papers, even an old soccer sock were pushed aside as Anna dug around in the larger section.

Finally, she produced a single, battered piece of lined paper. Anna fought an embarrassed blush as she spread out the paper, trying to remove the worst of the wrinkles. There was about half a page of writing on the paper, written in a slanted scrawl, and Anna was almost positive that whatever work she had on the page was wrong.

“… Sorry. This is all I have,” she muttered, pushing the paper over to the teacher.

Elsa hummed as she took the paper. Anna watched her eyes scan the page, clenching her fists tightly underneath the table. She tried to keep Pabbie’s words in her head, but it was tough when every thought, every nerve was jabbing her with the sharp feeling of vulnerability, driving her to sink in her seat and avert her eyes.

_‘I’msofreakingstupidwhydidIagreetothisshe’sgoingtoknowI’manidiotfuckfuckFUCK-’_

“Anna.”

The social obligation to respond to her name was the only reason Anna looked up. She very much did not want to be seen right now, but invisibility wasn’t exactly an option. So, the teen forced her eyes upwards, hands still clenched out of sight.

She was surprised when the look of judgement and revile she expected to see on Elsa’s face was noticeably absent. Instead, there was only warmth and sympathy - and, thankfully, a clear lack of pity - in her expression.

Anna’s breath hitched when the older woman gently lay a hand on her upper arm. “I’ve been tutoring kids for a while. I know what that look means,” Elsa said, trapping Anna’s gaze with her own. “And I need you to know that I’m not going to judge you. I’m not going to berate you for not knowing something.” Her eyes were sincere, her lips softly quirked downwards. “And I am never, _ever_ going to make you feel like you aren’t good enough.”

Elsa removed her hand, and Anna instantly missed the contact. She stared at the teacher with wide eyes, unable to look away.

“I promise.”

It was like she’d said all the right things; as though, whether Elsa realized it or not, her words were coming from the perspective of a soulmate, not a teacher. There was a warm glow that began to burn in Anna’s chest. A feeling, one different than those butterflies that had been following Anna around emerged alongside that glow, wrapping around her heart and squeezing tight.

Anna didn’t know a lot about Elsa. She didn’t know her favorite food, or what movies she liked, or if she had any siblings; hell, she couldn’t even ask. But what Anna did know was that Elsa was kind. She was genuine, she was caring, and she was now one of the only people to truly give the wayward girl a chance.

And that was enough for Anna to fall in love with.

“… Th-thank you,” was Anna’s breathless response. It was all her vacant mind could put together, but it seemed to be enough because Elsa was smiling again and Anna felt like the whole world made sense, if only for a moment.

“Now, why don’t we start from the beginning of Unit 1?”

The moment was gone, but the glowing feelings remained. They mixed in with those rivulets of dread, the crushing vulnerability, the fear; and diluted them, washing away the worst of it.

Anna got out her pencil. The words in the textbook still swam around her vision and the numbers still didn’t make sense, but the encouraging smile from Elsa made her feel like maybe she could stumble through this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww :)
> 
> Unfortunately this is probably the most direct Elsanna you’re going to get for awhile; keep in mind, this is a slow burn! Likely, this fic is going to be around 30 or 40 chapters, so buckle up - the plot’s going to really get rolling from here ;)
> 
> Also sorry for the late publish. Imma be honest, the days have sort of started blurring together and I kind of thought it was still the weekend :P whoopsie.
> 
> Anywho, I hope everyone is staying safe! Have a lovely rest of your week!
> 
> ~Nopes


	10. Chapter 8 (Elsa): Dyslexia

**Chapter 8 (Elsa): Dyslexia**

Oaken's Café was bustling that Saturday afternoon, Elsa noted as she crossed the crowded parking lot. The cooling weather was likely bringing in a lot of people that wanted a nice, warm drink as September entered its final week. The day was overcast and chilly, but Elsa never minded the cold. Even in just a light sweater and jeans, she felt perfectly warm amidst the grey weather. 

The little bell above the door rang lightly, announcing Elsa’s arrival to the café. Aksel sent her a wave from the front counter, which she returned with a smile as she fully stepped into the lively interior. Elsa scanned the room, looking for the familiar faces of her cousin and cousin-in-law amidst the crowd. They were sitting at a booth in the very back, away from most of the occupied tables. Rapunzel was gesturing as she talked and Eugene was blowing bubbles in his milkshake, but he stopped and smiled as Elsa approached.

“Elsie, glad you could make it!”

“As if you’d let me bail,” Elsa responded, rolling her eyes. She slipped into the booth next to her cousin, setting her purse on the ground by her feet.

“Ha! We’ll make a social butterfly of you, yet,” Rapunzel said, nudging her lightly. She slid a mug over to Elsa. “We went ahead and got you your usual.”

Elsa accepted the drink with a smile, inhaling the warm scent of hot chocolate. It was a childhood favorite, and - in her opinion - far better than the caffeine-filled monstrosities that Eugene had gotten her cousin hooked on.

If she was being honest, Elsa herself was surprised that she didn’t cancel, but she was even more surprised that Eugene was actually right about something. _‘I’d better not tell him that,’_ she thought, taking a sip of her drink. _‘He’ll definitely be insufferable about it. Although I’m pretty sure he noticed how quickly Mulan and I got to talking.’_ The four had met up the week prior and, despite Elsa’s initial hesitance, she had a wonderful time. If there was one thing she didn’t expect from her new job, it was to make friends with the upperclassmen gym teacher, but once they started talking, Elsa found that Mulan had a delightfully witty personality that matched hers rather well.

_‘Speak of the devil…’_ The bell above the door chimed again and Mulan stepped inside. When her eyes landed on their table, Elsa gave her a wave.

Mulan waved back, a broad grin on her face. She half-jogged over to the booth, the scarf around her neck bouncing in tandem with her long strides. “Hey guys,” she breathed as she sat, taking the spot next to Eugene. “Sorry I’m late!”

“Don’t worry, Elsa just got here too,” Rapunzel responded. “Did you want to get a drink first?”

The woman shook her head, dark bangs swishing lightly. “Nah, I already had something. The girls wanted to grab lunch after the game - that’s why I’m a bit tardy.”

“How’d the game go?” Elsa asked. She’d found out last week that Mulan was also the girl’s soccer coach in the Fall and Spring.

“I know you were working gals real hard for this one,” Eugene added. “It’s been awhile since they’ve won against North Mountain.”

"Turns out, all that extra practice paid off,” Mulan said, eyes sparkling with pride. “It was a close one, but we got a penalty kick in the last five minutes and pulled ahead!”

“Congrats!”

“That’s awesome!”

“What’s a penalty kick?”

Elsa blushed at the laughter her question garnered. Her knowledge of sports was probably about as vast as Eugene’s knowledge of table manners; that is to say, subpar at best. Sure, she did horseback riding at her mother’s stables every now and again, but that was the extent of her athletic aptitude.

“It’s basically a free shot between one player and the opposing goalie,” Mulan explained. “Happens when someone fouls in their own penalty area.”

“Ah. Yes. That makes perfect sense,” Elsa said dryly.

That earned another chuckle from Mulan. “Not a sports person, I take it?”

“Well, it’s not that I _dislike_ sports…”

“… She just doesn’t have any clue how they work,” Eugene finished.

There was another laugh around the table. “Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Mulan sat forward in her seat, fixing Elsa with an excited expression. “Why don’t you come to a game sometime? You can see what you’re missing out on!”

Rapunzel gasped. “That’s a great idea! We could all go together, make a day of it,” she grabbed Elsa’s shoulder, shaking her eagerly.

Elsa snorted, gently pushing Rapunzel off of her. “I don’t see why not.”

“Awesome!”

Mulan looked genuinely stoked that Elsa agreed. Eugene, on the other hand, looked astonished. Elsa couldn’t blame him; she’d just agreed to a social outing without being dragged into it kicking and screaming, she’d be shocked too if she were him. He raised his eyebrows at Elsa, giving her a grin and a thumbs up.

The conversation moved on from there, with Mulan animatedly recounting the highlights of the match against North Mountain. Most of the terminology flew over Elsa’s head, but she did her best to keep up. At least Mulan was a good storyteller - even though Elsa was mostly lost, she was actually pretty interested in how the game had gone.

_‘I never thought I’d be excited for a sporting event,’_ Elsa thought. She propped her chin up with one hand, the other wrapped around her half-finished mug of hot chocolate. _‘Or that I’d even go to one in the first place. But, who knows? Maybe it’ll be fun.’_

**0-0-0-0-0**

White sunlight streamed through the opened blinds, illuminating the classroom in the afternoon glow. The leaves outside swayed lazily in the wind, just as lethargic as the students trapped indoors. The room was quiet aside from the sound of pencils on paper and the occasional sigh or yawn.

Elsa glanced up, making sure everyone was at least being somewhat productive. A stack of partially-graded homework sat, momentarily ignored, beneath her hands as her eyes swept the room. Most of the class were bent over their current worksheet. Others, however, stared off into various unseen voids, just counting down the seconds until the day ended. It was a Wednesday, the middle of the week blowing a sluggish haze over most of the student body.

_‘I see Kenai is getting in a nap, but I saw him finish fifteen minutes ago so I’ll let it slide,’_ Elsa thought, tapping her pen lightly against her desk. _‘Then there’s Hiro - playing on his phone, again. That kid definitely doesn’t belong here, I should look into getting him transferred to a more advanced course.’_

Student to student, thought to thought, Elsa let her mind drift for a while. Reading people was as easy as flipping open the cover of a favorite book - and though she was often less than stellar at actually interacting with them herself, that inherent understanding she had of others was a valuable asset for a teacher to have. Elsa wasn’t just good at understanding math; she was good at understanding her students, too.

Greyscale eyes found their way to the front row of desks. Douglass MacGuffin, dutifully working on a problem; Drew Tremaine, checking her nails; Kristoff Bjorgman, tapping the keys of his calculator…

Elsa’s gaze lingered on a certain freckled face for a moment.

Anna was staring off at some corner of the room, cheek leaned against one hand while the other twiddled her pencil back and forth. The worksheet at her desk had some scribbles on it, but she clearly hadn’t completed more than one or two problems before giving up entirely. Her grey t-shirt matched her equally grey torn jeans, which lay loosely around her, as though they were maybe a size too large.

Yes, Elsa was good at reading people. Perhaps that’s why she was so inexplicably drawn to Anna.

The girl was a puzzle - a walking cipher in braids and a bomber jacket, a mystery in a way that Elsa had never encountered before. People weren’t usually so enigmatic. They were identifiable, and Elsa could categorize them, neat and tidy. Rapunzel was excitable, emotion driven, and loyal. Eugene was a type B personality, with a propensity for mischief. Marshall was literal and fact-based, and extremely observant.

But Anna? Anna was messy. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, yet Elsa could never tell what she was thinking. She was loud and more than a bit hotheaded, but she also seemed somehow calculating, both smart enough to plan and brave enough to execute. Just when Elsa was sure she’d pinned her with a solid characterization, Anna would reveal a new facet, and changed that label entirely. Even lacking the capability of color, Elsa got the feeling that Anna was like scribbling outside of the lines; not exactly orthodox, but charming in its own right.

The bell, shrill and shear, startled Elsa out of her thoughts.

_‘Guess I zoned out a bit.’_ Students were already starting to stand, grabbing their backpacks and ambling towards the door. “Whatever you didn’t finish in class today will be homework,” Elsa called before anyone could leave. “And don’t forget about the quiz next class!”

A few nods and some mumbled affirmatives were the only response she got.

The classroom quickly emptied, soon leaving Elsa alone with Anna and Kristoff. Elsa started getting out her teacher-edition textbook and a scrap piece of paper, taking her time as Anna said goodbye to her friend.

“I’ll see you later,” Kristoff was saying, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Don’t work too hard.”

Anna grumbled as she was pulled into a one-armed hug - something that sounded like ‘whatever, nerd’ - but otherwise offered no rebuttal. Kristoff ruffled her hair, which earned him a swat as he started off towards the door. 

Elsa smiled as Anna sat down, dropping her bag next to her chair. “Ready for some math?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Chuckling, Elsa allowed Anna a moment to get situated. “So, I know we touched on this a little last Friday, but why don’t we start from the beginning?” Elsa waited for Anna to nod before writing out a simple algebraic equation on the scrap paper: _4x = 8._ “‘X,’ here, if you remember, is our variable. A variable represents the number that makes this statement make sense.” The teen nodded slowly as Elsa continued. “It can be any letter, but ‘x’ is the most commonly used.”

Anna’s face scrunched up in a way that Elsa might call cute, if it weren’t wildly inappropriate for her to say so. “I still don’t get why it’s not a number,” she said. “How can you make math happen with something that’s not a number?”

“‘X’ is just a placeholder,” Elsa said patiently. “It’s only there, temporarily, to replace a number.”

“Then why don’t we just put the number there?”

“We don’t know what it is yet. Here,” Elsa pointed to the ‘x’ with her pencil. “Think of this as a big question mark.” She circled the ‘x’ and put a ‘?’ above it. “We have no idea what it is, but by going backwards we can find out.”

“…” Anna stared at the example Elsa had written out, gears almost visibly turning in her head. “So… It's kind of like a puzzle. When there’s a letter,” she jabbed at the ‘x’, “it just means, ‘what the heck should go here to make everything work?’ And, that’s all I have to figure out?”

Elsa beamed. “Exactly!”

Her smile was returned with equal enthusiasm, Anna looking rather proud of herself. Her face was lit up in a way that made everything around her seem to glow, as though her happiness were contagious even to their inanimate surroundings.

A brightness found its way into Elsa’s chest. _‘I guess I’m developing a soft spot for this girl.”_

The two talked through a few more examples together, with Elsa keeping most of her explanations verbal instead of written. Anna didn’t take any notes, but Elsa could tell she was absorbing the material. Not all students were print-oriented, after all.

“Now, then,” Elsa grabbed her textbook from the top-left corner of her desk and flipped it open to the appropriate chapter, turning pages until she came across the first practice assignment. Anna wasn’t going to be eager to do some practice problems; the girl hated practical application, but it was unfortunately unavoidable in math. As a teacher Elsa could prepare Anna as best she could, but ultimately she needed to be able to do it herself. “Do you think you can solve a few by yourself?”

Anna hesitated, sending an uneasy look at the math-covered page. There was only a moment of quiet between them before Anna relented. “Alrighty,” she replied, gripping her pencil a little tighter.

Elsa watched the girl thoughtfully as she got to work. Although Anna generally threw Elsa for a loop, there was one thing that was becoming increasingly clear the more they worked together:

Anna was smart. _Very_ smart.

Deceptively smart when considering her grades, although it was evident that she didn’t think very highly of herself. _‘Her critical thinking skills are clearly above average,’_ Elsa had seen over their past week of tutoring. _‘Same with her cognitive reasoning, as far as I’ve seen. But she struggles with the kind of basic maths that her peers mastered years ago.’_ So much so, in fact, that they were only starting on actual class topics today; they’d spent the first two sessions playing catch-up on a few key concepts. That, coupled with the way Anna read, the way she wrote, the way she rationalized… It was different, different in a way that Elsa was familiar with. She’d seen this before - she was sure of it. In fact, Anna was pretty much a textbook case, if the teacher remembered her training properly.

And she did, of course. This was exactly the kind of student she had been preparing for.

Bringing up a mental checklist, Elsa reviewed what she had observed of Anna’s habits. _‘Has a hard time with written problems? Check. Messy handwriting? Big check. Difficulty paying attention? Check, again.’_

Anna moved on to the second problem, unaware of Elsa’s mental indexing. _‘She doesn’t seem to be aware of it,’_ Elsa thought, leaning back in her chair a little. The teen was using her finger to trace each word, and her face betrayed her frustration as she tried to decipher the word problem. The previous question had two answers scribbled out before Anna had put down the correct one. _‘That’s pretty common, I suppose. Although it is a little shocking that her parents haven’t noticed by now.’_

Regardless, she needed to be absolutely certain before bringing it up.

A few more minutes of silent work time elapsed before Elsa interrupted. “Hey, why don’t we take a break from the equations for a second?” Anna looked up, allowing Elsa to take the scrap paper from her and set it in between the pages of the textbook, marking their place as she closed it. “I have some small mental exercises we can do instead.”

Anna nodded, looking relieved. “Sounds good, teach’.”

Elsa smiled. It was cute, the little nickname Anna seemed to have given her, and it made Elsa feel fuzzy in a way she couldn’t quite explain… but that wasn’t important, right now. Shaking off the feeling, Elsa stood. “We’ll start small,” she said, making her way to the back of the room. She crouched by the two small bookcases in the corner, running her fingers along the spines of each book until she found what she was looking for.

_‘“Charlotte’s Web.” That’ll work perfectly.’_

She pulled the book out from its place on the shelf, not missing the way Anna’s eyes darted away from her as she turned back around. Elsa walked back to the desk and took her seat once more, straightening out her pencil skirt and flipping the book open to a random page. She scanned it briefly, just to be safe.

_… The barn was pleasantly warm in winter when the animals spent most of their time indoors, and it was pleasantly cool in summer when the big doors stood wide open to the breeze. The barn had stalls on the main floor-_

“Here.” Elsa set the book in front of Anna. “I just want you to read a few lines. Start there,” she indicated to a spot on the worn paper.

Anna blinked. “Uhh, okay?” She was clearly confused by the request, but obeyed nonetheless, squinting closely at the book’s faded ink.

Keeping her own expression neutral, Elsa watched Anna’s face as she read. It was clear that she was having trouble. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, and she stumbled on more than a few words, switching them around or just plain reading them wrong. ‘Was’ became ‘saw,’ ‘barn’ became ‘bam,’ ‘time’ was repeated: so on and so forth, each pitfall adding to the checklist in Elsa’s mind.

_‘Repeats and mixes up words without realizing? Check.’_

When she finished the passage, Anna looked up at Elsa, a hint of anxiety flashing through her expression. “Was that good?”

“Yes, Anna.” Elsa gave her a reassuring smile. “Remember, I’m not here to judge you.”

That seemed to assuage Anna’s worries, for she smiled, turning her eyes back to the desk.

“Now,” the teacher continued, taking the book and setting it atop the abandoned textbook. She then grabbed a second sheet of scrap paper from a drawer in her desk, sliding it over to Anna. “I’m going to say some words, and I want you to write them out. I know it sounds silly,” she said at the raised eyebrow from Anna, “but this is just to help me understand you and how you learn a bit better.”

“Hm.” Anna shrugged, picking up her pencil. “Okie dokie.”

“Subtraction.” Elsa said. _“sudtracshin.”_ Anna wrote.

“February.” _“feduary.”_

“Aquarium.” _“aguareum.”_

“Science.” _“sience.”_

Elsa watched over Anna’s shoulder as she wrote, each word written in that disorganized scrawl. _‘Trouble with spelling… Difficulty distinguishing phonemes…’_ Elsa noted each error carefully. _‘Check, and check.’_

The spelling, the trouble reading aloud, the handwriting… These were it; the biggest signs, the nails in the proverbial coffin. This all but confirmed it.

Elsa’s eyes shifted from the paper, over to Anna. The teen was already looking at her, her grey eyes wide and bewildered. She looked as though she’d gladly do anything else Elsa told her to do, but an explanation would be greatly appreciated.

_‘A textbook case,’_ Elsa thought again, eyes still locked on Anna’s own. _‘And nobody ever noticed. I’m going to have a stern talk with her parents at some point. But, for now…’_

Elsa pursed her lips. She brought a hand up the frames of her glasses, lightly adjusting them atop her nose. Anna was still watching her innocently, oblivious to how her whole world was about to change - for the second time that month, unbeknownst to Elsa.

“Anna,” Elsa said tenderly. “I think you have dyslexia.”

**End of Arc 1**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, it's been a bit since the last update - my bad, I kind got a bit of writers block :P On the bright side, I think the second half of this chapter turned out really well! Bombshell number two for poor Anna, lets hope she takes it well...
> 
> Anyways, this is the end of Arc 1! As it currently stands, there will be five or six story arcs, which... doesn't really matter, but it helps me keep things organized in my notes so whatever.
> 
> Hope y'all are doing okay! I have the next chapter mostly completed, so it'll hopefully be up on time next week :)
> 
> ~Nopes


	11. Chapter 9 (Anna): Dys- what?

**Chapter 9 (Anna): Dys- what?**

“Anna,” Elsa said tenderly. “I think you have dyslexia.”

Anna blinked. “I have what?” She was still holding her pencil, hands poised over the paper with the weird exercise-thingy that Elsa had her do. Their eyes were still locked, crystalline blue meeting teal-green.

“Dyslexia,” Elsa repeated. “It’s… It’s a learning disability. It makes reading and writing a lot tougher than it should be.”

_‘… What?’_

Anna didn’t say anything. She almost couldn’t, as though her mind and her mouth were suddenly disconnected. “I-I don’t understand,” she eventually stammered, staring blankly at her teacher.

Elsa leaned forward in her seat, her eyebrows knit. “For people with Dyslexia, connecting sounds to letters and words is difficult,” she continued. “Your brain has trouble figuring out how the sounds we make match up with the symbols we print, so it jumbles everything up when you read or write.”

“No, that can’t-” Anna faltered.

**_She had put in the code three times, exactly as it was on the paper; it just wasn’t working. / Anna tried to work on the first problem, but she only ended up getting frustrated. / The words seemed to shimmer on the page in front of her, jumping and mixing like they always did._ **

“That’s not…”

**_… the numbers on the board kept shifting… couldn’t figure out where she went wrong… never got the hang of school…_ **

Things were starting to align in a way that Anna really didn’t want them to. Her pencil slipped from her grasp, clattering onto the desk. _‘This can’t be right,’_ she thought, staring down at the paper in front of her. The letters were no help; they swayed and shimmered, taunting her with their confusion. She shook her head, trying to make the words stop spinning, but when she opened her eyes again they were still just as disoriented as before. _‘Why didn’t anyone say anything?”_ she wondered, her chest squeezing painfully. _“Did nobody notice? Did my parents-’_

Anna’s thoughts came screeching to a halt.

Her parents.

Their conversation, the one she wasn’t supposed to hear, the month before they abandoned her… It had been so long ago that the memory had all but completely faded, cast away into the dark recesses of her mind, forgotten up until this moment.

_“She’s just more trouble than she’s worth,”_ her dad had said. _“Learning disability, the school says.”_

Her mother had scoffed. _“Stupid little shit. Of all the kids, we had to get the defective one.”_

The words ricocheted through her head, each one bringing a fresh stab of sadness as she remembered. She had never understood what they meant, she was too young, but now it all made sense. _‘They knew,’_ she thought, hands clenched tight in her lap. _‘They knew, and that’s why they didn’t- why they didn’t want me… and this whole time, I thought…’_

Anna felt tears spring to her eyes.

“I-I thought-” Anna’s voice broke. She cleared her throat and tried again, her words quiet and hesitant. “I thought I was just s-stupid…”

Then, there was a warmth surrounding her. Anna’s breath hitched at the sudden embrace. One of her teacher’s arms was around her shoulders, the other across her back, and Anna’s head was resting softly between Elsa’s shoulder and neck. They were still in their chairs, leaning towards each other, meeting halfway with their knees bumping together.

Once the initial shock had faded, Anna found herself returning the hug tightly.

“Oh, Anna…” Elsa rubbed her thumb lightly against Anna’s shoulder. “I…” She started, then stopped. Anna could feel the rumble of her voice against her skin. “I’m sorry. This must be a lot to process.”

Anna simply nodded, hoping Elsa would understand despite her not being able to see the gesture. She tried to keep her tears at bay as another silence elapsed. Elsa’s arms were still around her, gently painting shapes atop the fabric of her shirt. It was comforting, and Anna allowed herself to relax into the embrace.

They stayed like that for a bit; Anna, trying not to fall apart and Elsa, practically holding her together. Anna didn’t want the moment to end. She only wished she could cherish it better. This closeness with Elsa likely wouldn’t be possible again for a long while, but her heart felt heavy and her head was still spinning, and she had more than a few questions.

Finally, reluctantly, once her tears were under control, Anna pulled away. Elsa retracted her arms in turn, taking that soft warmth with her, though Anna couldn’t help but notice that their knees were still touching.

It took a second for Anna to gather her thoughts. “How-” The words caught in her throat, but she forced them out. “How did you know?”

Elsa smiled softly. “Well… I’m actually not just a math teacher,” she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “My degree was focussed on teaching students with learning disabilities. Since I’m fresh out of college and Arendelle High was hiring, I decided to take this job for the experience before trying for something closer to my full skill set.”

_‘That’s… super convenient,’_ Anna thought, pursing her lips. “So, these ‘mental exercises,’” she gestured to the paper on the desk in front of her, “were sorta, like, dyslexia tests, I’m guessing?”

The teacher nodded. “I wanted to be sure before bringing it up.”

Anna was silent for a moment. The fog around her mind was clearing up and she felt like she could breathe better than before - at least, the walls no longer felt like they were closing in.

“So… what now?”

“Well, first,” Elsa started, “you should get officially tested. You’ll need a certified diagnosis, otherwise the school won’t grant you any accommodations.”

_‘Testing? Accomodations? Oh boy.’_ Anna bit her lip. “Uhh… You know, I think I’m good.”

Elsa looked at her like she’d sprouted an extra limb. “What?”

“It just…” Anna sighed, averting her eyes. “That all sounds like… a lot. And I- I don’t want to tell my family.”

At that, Elsa shook her head. “As your teacher I am both legally and morally obligated to tell your parents, Anna.”

_‘Yeah, well, good luck with that.’_ She sighed again, sinking back in her chair. Her eyes were cast to the speckled tile ceiling, where she dutifully kept them. If she looked at Elsa now, she’d probably cry, for real this time. “Can I have some time to think about this?”

Maybe it was waver in her voice, or the slight tremble of her lip; or maybe Elsa was just that wonderful and understanding, because she gave Anna a sigh, a smile, and a soft “alright.”

**0-0-0-0-0**

The whole thing just sucked, Anna decided.

The frigid air of the factory was blocked both by her heavy bomber jacket and the cigarette in her hand. It was the third smoke she’d had since she left the house, citing a need for some fresh air as her reason for leaving. Her family, bless them, didn’t ask any questions, although she was subject to more than a few sympathetic looks.

_‘I hate this,’_ Anna thought bitterly, sending a halfhearted kick at one of the big machines that slept, forever dormant, in the empty factory. A hollow sound resonated from the dull metal, echoing through the stagnant air. Her chest felt tight, like this new knowledge was wrapped around her heart with the intent to choke it out. _‘I hate this so much.’_

She still felt stupid. It didn’t make any sense, and she hated, hated, _hated_ it. Anna knew, now, she _knew_ she wasn’t an idiot, but that didn’t stop her mind from disagreeing. _“You’re just some special species of dumbass,”_ a voice in her brain whispered. _“You’re basically illiterate!”_

“I hate this!” Anna said it out loud this time, as though yelling into the cold air would drive that terrible voice out of her thoughts. The unlucky metal tank that caught her next kick was left with a dent and a dusty shoe-print, the sound reverberating even louder than before.

Anna tried to force her thoughts to something else. The topic wouldn’t leave her mind, but she managed to shift her focus away from the crippling self doubt that was coiling in her stomach.

The new subject, however, wasn’t much better.

Her family.

She knew it was ridiculous to keep the news from them. Anna’s family had only ever been kind and supporting since they took her in - why would this be any different? Kristoff and Nani helped her learn to braid her hair. Grand Pabbie played video games with her when she felt sad. Aunt Bulda picked her up from school when she got in trouble and took her for ice cream so they could talk about it, Olaf and Lilo gave her hugs when she started sulking, and Cliff would smoke with her on the steps when she just needed someone to sit in silence with.

She wanted to tell them, she _really_ did. They loved her, and she knew it… 

… but that voice was back, this time just reminding her of what happened every other time she let her guard down. She got hurt; she always did, and this _thing_ \- dyslexia, learning disability, whatever title it held - was the whole reason why. And not to mention, this was another goddamn problem the Stenbergs would have to throw money at, money that they didn’t really have. _‘I don’t know what kind of price this stuff has, but psychological testing probably isn’t cheap,’_ Anna thought, tossing her cigarette butt to the floor. _‘Add that to whatever accommodations that might need some cash…’_

Anna walked the length of the factory; once, twice, a third time. Back and forth, she paced, trying to think her way past the dread that sat heavily on her shoulders. Dust swirled around her beat-up converse sneakers, creating tiny whirlwinds across the cold concrete. Outside the sky was grey, threatening rain over the Arendelle suburbs.

The doubt, the fear, the money; another conflict in Anna’s mind, another cigarette in Anna’s mouth.

_‘Not yet,’_ she decided. _‘Not yet…’_

**0-0-0-0-0**

The class was in chaos at the ring of the bell. Students slapped their finished quizzes onto the teachers desk and bolted. Friday’s shorter class times had everyone rushing to their next period, hoping to get the day over with as soon as possible. Anna packed up her stuff, but lagged behind everyone else, remaining in her seat. Kristoff stood at his desk next to her, trying to stuff his bulging binder into his equally-full backpack. She picked at a corner of her quiz, tearing the paper slightly as she glanced at her brother. “Kristoff, you can go on ahead without me. I’ll just be a second.”

Kristoff looked at Anna, then at their teacher, then back. “M’kay,” he said slowly, and Anna was thankful that he didn't push. He finished shoving his things into his bag, giving Anna a quick hug before he left the room.

Anna stood, hoping her tight grip on her quiz would disguise the shaking of her hands and the uncertainty in her gait as she made her way to the teacher’s desk. She placed the paper in front of Elsa, quietly grabbing her attention.

The teacher looked up from her work. She opened her mouth, but Anna cut in before she could say anything.

“Is there any way I can get the testing done without telling my family just yet?”

Elsa’s eyebrows scrunched together. She looked at Anna quietly for a moment. “… I have a friend I can call,” she said eventually. “But she can’t make the results official until a parent or guardian gives their express consent.”

“Great,” Anna breathed. That was the easy part. Now, onto the question she was dreading the answer to: “How much does it cost?”

Anna was fixed with a curious look, blue eyes boring into her own. Elsa looked like she wanted to ask… something, but she was holding her tongue. _‘Probably wondering how I’m going to pay if my family doesn’t know about this,’_ Anna thought, matching her gaze. _‘Well, she doesn’t need to know that money is a problem. I might be able to pay for it myself.’_

It was quiet, the two now alone in the room as the passing period ticked on. Anna did her best to keep her features neutral.

Much to her surprise, it was Elsa that gave in first.

“It will likely be around $200 or $300,” the teacher said. “Unfortunately, it isn’t covered by insurance.”

_‘Not that ours is any good anyways,’_ Anna thought, nodding at Elsa’s answer. It was a lot of money, but far more do-able than Anna was expecting. “Okay. Now, uh, how would I go about… doing all that stuff?”

“Well, if you’d have me, I’d be happy to help facilitate.” Elsa’s smile was back, sending butterflies ping-ponging through Anna’s chest. The teen nodded, and Elsa continued. “I can set up the appointment and we can meet at my friend's place of work. Here,” the teacher grabbed a pen and a sticky note from a drawer in her desk. “What’s your email? I can send you a message with the location and time, once I get it set up.”

Anna was sure there were cartoon hearts above her head at this point. _‘She… She doesn’t have to do this. I’m just some random student to her, and yet here she is, going all out trying to help me.’_

As Elsa took down Anna’s contact information, Anna couldn’t help but admire the woman while she wasn’t looking. She was wearing a power suit today, colored her signature light blue - Anna absently applauded whoever helped Elsa with the color coordination, they had done a fantastic job - that matched her light, braided hair quite well. Her long lashes brushed her cheeks when she blinked, and Anna imagined her light pink lips were soft as silk; they looked the part, at the very least.

Those bright blue eyes met Anna’s own once again, and Anna felt her face flush. _‘There’s no way she didn’t notice me checking her out,’_ she thought, shuffling her feet, but she honestly didn't really care at the moment. She wanted more than anything to just throw caution to the wind and say her soulmate’s name, to hold her and to never let go.

“Um, thank you for all the help,” she said instead.

Elsa’s smile was just as beautiful as it always was.

“It’s my pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe... I couldn't help myself, I just had to make them share a tender, emotional embrace :3 Poor Anna, she really just can't catch a break, huh? This chapter's a bit unpolished, but I'm overall pretty satisfied with it so I wanted to go on and post it - let me know if there are any glaring errors that I missed.
> 
> Have a wonderful rest of the day!
> 
> ~Nopes


	12. Chapter 10 (Anna): Testing and Talking

**Chapter 10 (Anna): Testing and Talking**

Anna shuffled on her feet, stopped just in front of the buildings’ entrance. She had double checked, then triple checked the address before she left to make sure she had it right - then made Kristoff read it to her, just to be sure - but that didn’t provide much of a comfort against the nervousness that pooled in her stomach. The building was a bit intimidating at five stories tall, containing a number of different practices on each of its floors, including Elsa’s friend’s office.

It took an hour for Anna to get to the location, given that she had to take two buses to get there. Kristoff would have driven her, but he had a soccer practice to get to; in fact, they both did. Anna’s team had a practice scrimmage today that she was missing, which wasn’t ideal, but it gave her an excuse to be out of the house for several hours without her family being suspicious. Her brother, being the absolute saint that he was, offered to cover for her. He was the only person Anna told about the whole learning disorder thing, and she was infinitely grateful for his support. _‘I’ll have to make him cookies or something sometime,’_ Anna thought. _‘He deserves a thank-you for everything.’_

Biting her lip, Anna forced her feet to move. The cold handle of the door sent shivers down her spine as she pulled it open, stepping into the building’s open lobby. The office was on the fourth floor, Anna recalled from Elsa’s email, so she made her way to the set of elevators to her right.

There was a light _ding_ as the doors opened, and Anna stepped inside. She pressed the button labeled ‘4,’ then leaned against the far wall of the carriage while she waited.

Reaching a hand into her pocket, Anna felt for the plastic bag that was practically burning a hole in the leather of her bomber jacket. She had been checking every few minutes to make sure it was still there. And with good reason, for inside was three hundred dollars - Anna’s entire savings - in various crumpled bills, none higher than $20. _‘I really had to hunt around for it,’_ Anna thought, removing her hand from her pocket, _‘but I just barely have enough… hopefully.’_ Unfortunately, she was right in thinking that psychological testing was expensive. Thirty minutes of googling and frustrated deciphering had yielded that it could cost up to a thousand dollars, which was _significantly_ more than she’d managed to scrape together from her old piggy bank and, regrettably, what she had been saving to buy a laptop.

Oh, well. This was the priority.

Another _ding_ broke Anna out of her thoughts. The elevator doors opened, and Anna stepped out into a long hall that split off into two directions at the far end.

_‘Okay, door 451, door 451…’_ Anna squinted at the numbers that accompanied each identical wooden door as she walked down the hall, trying to spot the digits that matched with the office she was looking for.

And then, finally, she was there. _‘Office 451 - Center of Recovery and Healing,’_ read the placard by the door. Anna knit her eyebrows. _‘That sounds more like therapy than testing,’_ she thought. She pushed the door open nonetheless, stepping into the room beyond. It was a pretty generic waiting room, and it was empty, much to Anna’s relief. A noisemaker sat in one corner, providing some soft background sounds to the otherwise quiet room. There was a door on the right wall, and next to it was a panel with several names on it. Anna walked over and pressed the button on the panel next to the name Elsa had given her - _‘Dr. Thibaut… Must be French or something.’_ \- then sat down on one of the couches.

It wasn’t long before the door opened, and out stepped a tall woman with dark, wavy hair. “Hello, you must be Anna!” she said, a welcoming smile on her painted red lips as she offered a manicured hand to her. “I’m Dr. Thibaut, but you can just call me Esmèralda.”

“Nice to meet you,” Anna said, standing to shake the doctor’s proffered hand. She looked nothing like Anna was expecting when she thought of who would be administering her evaluation: less ‘weird scientist in a white lab coat,’ and more ‘chill neighbor that offers drinks every now and again.’ Her dark purple jeans and golden hoop earrings gave off an elegant yet relaxed vibe, and Anna already felt a little less nervous than when she had come in.

“And you as well,” Esmèralda replied. “My office is just down this hall,” she said, shutting the door behind Anna as she stepped into the corridor.

“Is El- um, is my teacher here as well?” Anna asked before she could stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth - then kicked herself for almost saying her soulmate’s name. Even if she wasn’t within earshot, it was too dangerous, as far as Anna was concerned.

“Yes.” If the doctor noticed her little slip up, she didn’t say. “She’ll be acting as an educational reference, so I can get a feel for how you are in school.”

“Cool, cool.” Anna subconsciously straightened her braids out and smoothed her wrinkled t-shirt as Esmèralda led her to her office, trying not to look as frazzled as she felt.

Dr. Thibaut’s office was painted a light grey that matched the clouds outside, which were visible through the window on the wall across from the door. By the window was a comfy-looking chair, across from which was an equally nice couch adorned with two pillows. There was also a desk, and a bookshelf on the wall beside it.

Elsa was sitting at the desk, and she looked up when Anna came in. She was in more casual clothes than her usual teaching attire, and Anna’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the cute jeans and blue sweater she was wearing instead. “Hello, Anna,” the teacher greeted warmly. Her chair was turned so that it faced away from the desk, and towards the couch. “It’s great to see you, as always.”

“Ah, uh, you too!” Anna was sure she was blushing. She was getting used to the flush in her cheeks and the speeding of her heartbeat that inevitably occurred whenever she was around the older woman.

Dr. Thibaut crossed the room and sat in the chair by the window, leaving Anna to occupy the couch. Anna once more felt like she was in a therapists’ office. From the comfy furniture to the soft colors, it seemed to fit the bill.

“I suppose some further introductions are in order,” Esmèralda said lightly, watching Anna take in the room around her. Her legs were crossed nonchalantly, and her expression remained warm. “As you already know, I’ll be conducting your psych evaluation. I’m also a licensed therapist for at-risk youth, hence the therapy office,” she said with a chuckle, gesturing to the area around them. 

_‘Guess I was right about the therapy vibes.’_ “That makes sense,” Anna said, leaning back in her seat. She still felt tense, but Esmèralda’s casual demeanor made her feel more at ease. “So, uh, how’s this gonna work?”

“Well first, we’re just going to talk. Elsa will step out for this part, so everything you say to me will be between us and us alone.” She waited for Anna to nod before continuing. “Then, we’ll do the first part of the actual testing. I’ll give you various tasks to do, which will show me how you process language in terms of reading, writing, and listening.

“After that, Elsa will come back in and give me her observations of how you function in school, plus some of your tests and grade history. You’ll have to leave for this part, so that everything stays unbiased, but when you come back in I’ll have a diagnosis ready.”

Anna nodded again, swallowing thickly. “Okay.”

“Well, that’s my cue to leave.” Elsa stood, straightening out her sweater. “I’ll be in the waiting room. Have Esmè come and get me if you need anything.”

And with one last smile, she was gone. _‘Welp. No going back now,’_ Anna thought as the door closed, leaving her alone with Dr. Thibaut.

“Alright, Anna,” Esmèralda shifted so that her legs were no longer crossed, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on her knees. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”

“Uh, well…” Anna couldn’t really think of what to say. What was she _supposed_ to say? It was a really basic question, but Anna wanted to give the right answer. “Um, my full name is Anna Ruth Sobelman. I go to Arendelle Highschool. Uh, I’m a senior.”

“Do you have any close friends?”

“A few, yeah,” Anna replied. “Ariel and Merida. And Kristoff, of course.”

“Who’s Kristoff?”

“Oh, he’s my brother.”

“You’re close, I take it?” Esmèralda asked, and Anna nodded. “That’s good, that’s good. Tell me more about your family.”

Anna tried to mask her wince. “They’re cool. Um,” she bit her lip. Time to redirect the conversation. “So, how do you and my math teacher know each other?”

“We’re friends from college,” Esmèralda replied easily. She then tilted her head. “I noticed that you changed the subject to focus on me, instead of your home life. Is there any particular reason for that?”

_‘Damn it,’_ Anna thought, narrowing her eyes. _‘Should have figured she wouldn’t fall for that.’_ “Well,” she started cautiously, “It’s a bit of a sore spot.”

“Would you feel comfortable telling me more?”

Anna blinked, caught a little off guard by the question. The doctor was quiet, allowing her space to think for a moment. Her expression held no judgement nor contempt, only the same gentle receptiveness that she’d had the entire session, so far. She looked as though she’d be alright dropping the subject if Anna said no, like she was offering a genuine choice.

That freedom to choose was enough to lower Anna’s walls, if only a little. With a sigh, she averted her eyes again. “My parents gave me up when I was six,” she said quietly. “And I bounced around in the system for a while until Kristoff’s foster family took me in when I was fourteen. We’re both permanent fosters.”

“I see,” Esmèralda said softly. “That’s a tough life to grow up in.”

“Yeah, well. I’m just lucky I ended up with the Stenbergs. They’re some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. A lot of the places I went before weren’t so… non-violent.”

There was a brief silence. Anna still didn’t look at Dr. Thibaut. She could feel shame stirring in her stomach, which she tried to shove away. Talking about her time in the foster care system was never easy. She still bore the scars - both emotional and physical - from each and every place she’d ended up in, scars that were still in the process of healing, even after all these years. _‘She’s here to help,’_ Anna told herself, hoping it would quell the growing panic she felt. _‘She’s a safe person.’_ It reminded her of how she felt when Pabbie first asked her about her bruises, back when she was fourteen; vulnerable and skeptical, yes, but deep down, a little hopeful as well. _‘Elsa trusts her, so I can too.’_

Esmèralda spoke again, her voice gentle. “If you don’t mind my asking, why did you want to wait to tell them? About your dyslexia, that is.”

“I don’t want them to have to deal with it,” Anna sighed. “And… I’m afraid. I-I don’t want them to not want me anymore.”

The doctor nodded. “I can see this is something that causes you a great deal of anxiety. If you’d like, we can come back to this later.”

“I… Yeah, I’d like that.” Anna released a shaky breath, and the matter was dropped.

Things were easier from there. Anna talked about Lilo and Olaf, and how much she loved them. She talked about her hobbies; soccer, for the most part, but also art and cooking. She didn’t mention her soulmate status, and luckily Esmèralda didn’t ask. They also touched on her school life - particularly her difficulty with some of her peers and her history of fighting - but also her trouble with assignments and tests.

Anna found herself feeling calmer, and a little more willing to speak than the beginning of their talk. It actually felt freeing, having someone to talk to. Esmèralda was kind and patient, and Anna was almost disappointed when it was time to move on to the actual testing part.

A lot of the testing wasn’t what Anna expected it to be. She’d assumed it would be a lot of reading and spelling, and not much else. Turns out, reading and spelling was only a small part of it. Auditory vocab assessing, sounding out fake words, naming letters and objects as quickly as she could; Anna managed to get through all of the tasks that Dr. Thibaut threw at her. It was frustrating, and it took well over two hours, but Anna was given all the time she needed.

Nearly four hours had passed before it was time for Elsa’s part of the assessment. Anna took her place in the waiting room, flopped onto one of the couches unceremoniously as she waited for her teacher to finish the session. It took significantly less time than Anna’s part, allowing the teen about an hour to mindlessly play puzzle games on her phone while she waited.

And then, finally, it was time for the results. Anna glanced up when the door opened again.

“Esmèralda has come to a conclusion,” Elsa said, standing in the doorway with one hand on the door handle. “I can’t be there because of patient confidentiality, but I can wait out here if you’d like.”

“Nah, you don’t have to do that,” Anna responded, shaking her head lightly. The woman had already done so much, Anna couldn’t make her stay here any longer than she had to. “I’ll be okay. I’ll see you at school on Monday, yeah?”

“Yeah. Get home safe, Anna.”

“Will do, teach’.”

Anna entered the office and sat down on the couch again, looking to the doctor expectantly. She was at the desk this time, angled so that she was half facing Anna and half facing the papers on the desks’ surface.

“Alright, I have your diagnosis Anna.” Esmèralda looked to Anna, her face more serious than it was before. “Your suspicions were correct, you do have Dyslexia. And… it looks like you have Dyscalculia, as well.”

“There’s _another_ one?!”

“Sort of. Dyscalculia is basically Dyslexia, but for numbers instead of words,” Esmèralda elaborated. “It’s very common for them to occur together.”

Anna groaned, throwing herself back against the couch. “Of course it is,” she grumbled, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Any other learning crap I need to know about?”

“No, that’s all.” Esmèralda replied, setting her clipboard on the desk. “So, let’s talk about next steps. I’ll have to write up an official diagnosis, and I’ll need your legal guardian to sign a release form for it to be valid with your school. In my report, I’ll include some recommendations for what should be implemented to accommodate to your needs. That way, you can get a 504 plan in the works.”

“What’s a 504 plan?” Anna asked wearily, still laid back against the sofa. “And uh… can I just not do that?”

Esmèralda raised an eyebrow. “Theoretically, yes, but that’s a very bad idea.” She turned to face Anna fully, clasping her hands together atop her crossed legs. “Anna… Your peers are ahead because they’ve been running down a track with only a few hurdles, here and there that they have to jump. You, however, have to run the same course with one leg tied up.

“A 504 plan would give you accommodations that would level the playing field, so to speak. It would partially untie that leg, or take away some of those hurdles. You would have an honest shot at academic success, one that you haven’t been given before.”

Anna was quiet for a minute. She stared at the carpeted floor, turning the doctor’s words over in her head. _‘A chance,’_ she thought. _‘I’d have a real, actual chance to succeed.’_ No more struggling to catch up while the rest of the class moved on. No more ripping her hair out over assignments that made no sense. No more smarmy Hans, rubbing it all in her face. She wouldn’t have to feel like a failure.

Son of a bitch. She had to do this.

“Okay,” she said eventually. “Okay, fine. Just give me the damn release form.”

Esmèralda grinned. She picked up one of the papers on her desk and handed it to Anna, who grabbed it a little more harshly than she could have. “If you don’t mind waiting a little longer,” she said, ignoring Anna’s attitude, “I can type up that diagnosis for you and send you home with a copy.”

Anna sighed. Seems like she was doing that a lot today. “Sounds good, doc’.”

Thirty minutes later, Anna was holding a freshly printed, four page packet of headache-inducing medical nonsense and proposed 5-0-whatever plan accommodations. “Depending on your school’s receptiveness to academic adjustments, you may receive some pushback about getting a 504 plan,” Esmèralda warned as Anna looked down at the papers in her hands. “Push harder. Don’t let them sweep you under the rug.”

“Alright.” Anna nodded. “I… oh-!” She’d almost forgotten! The redhead shifted the papers to her left hand, using her right to grab the bag of cash she had been carrying. She held the money out to Dr. Thibaut. “I’m sorry I didn’t have an envelope or anything. Uh, I hope it’s enough.”

Dr. Thibaut blinked. She looked at the money, then at Anna, a thoughtful expression on her face. Then, she shook her head. “Keep it.”

“What? Why?”

The woman smiled. “You’re a good kid, Anna.” She gently pushed Anna’s hand back, despite Anna’s dumbstruck expression. “Don’t worry about it. I owe Elsa a favor, anyways.”

“But- Y-you can’t…” Anna stuttered, her hand still holding the money partially outstretched. “I can’t just-!”

“You can,” Esmèralda interrupted. Her tone was firm, but her green eyes sparkled sincerely. “I know the life of a kid in the system, and I know it well. You deserve to have something be easy, for once.”

That made Anna shut her mouth. _‘Does that mean she…?’_ She blinked, staring at the doctor with wide eyes. “You were…?”

Esmèralda shrugged, still smiling, though Anna noticed a sadness flicker briefly across her features. “Send me an email when you get that form signed,” she said, grabbing a small card from her desk and handing it to Anna. “And please, don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”

Anna shoved the money back into her pocket so she could take the business card. She looked back to Esmèralda, swallowing thickly past the lump in her throat. The teen couldn’t tell if she wanted to hug the doctor or just burst into tears, so she simply settled on a choked “Thank you,” instead.

**0-0-0-0-0**

“Hey there, Anna banana! How was soccer?”

When Anna got home, it was late afternoon, only an hour past when her soccer practice would have ended. It wasn’t unusual for her to get something to eat with her teammates afterwards, so her late arrival didn’t raise any red flags. Cliff was sitting on the couch when she came in, watching the news with Pabbie, who was laid back in his recliner. Bulda was puttering about in the kitchen, no doubt getting dinner started. Lilo and Olaf weren’t around and neither was Kristoff - _‘he’s probably helping them with homework,’_ Anna thought absently as she kicked the door shut.

“It was…” Another lie sat on the tip of her tongue, ready to be released. It was believable - soccer practice was fine, she got McDonald’s on the way home with Jasmine, something about how tough Coach Li was working them - but even thinking it made Anna’s stomach turn. Not to mention that she was absolutely lousy at lying. There was no way Pabbie wouldn’t know something was up, the man was practically some sort of psychic. _‘Ah shit,’_ she thought, clutching the papers she had been given tightly. _‘No time like the present.’_

“Um, I actually didn’t go to practice today.” Her voice betrayed her nervousness. “I… I need to talk to you all about something.”

That definitely got everyone’s attention. Cliff muted the T.V. and Bulda came to stand in the open entryway between the den and the dining room. Pabbie sat up in his chair, shifting so that the footrest retracted back and he was sitting fully upright. “What’s on your mind, kid?” Pabbie asked. His voice was gruff, but kind, and he looked at her with concern in his eyes.

Anna sighed. She moved so that she was no longer standing in the foyer, joining everybody else in the den. She almost felt sick, all the terrible possibilities whirring through her thoughts. What if they gave her away? What if this was the one thing they wouldn’t tolerate? What if this made them hate her? Anna knew these thoughts were irrational, but unfortunately feelings rarely ever adhered to logic. She tried to make them stop, to fight them with any sense of reason, but force-feeding herself empty words would not banish the anxiety from her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Anna collected her courage. _‘Just force it out.'_ She just had to force the words out. “Um… so, my math teacher noticed something a little weird about the way I do schoolwork and stuff so she kind of set me up with a psychologist who maybe sort of confirmedthatIhavealearningdisability?”

There was a stunned silence. Anna fidgeted nervously, her body itching to flee. “I, uh… here-” she placed Dr. Thibaut’s report and the release form on the coffee table. “This says everything you need to know. I’m… going to go to my room now.”

However, before Anna could escape, a hand grabbed her own. When she turned, she saw her Aunt looking at her with worried eyes. “Oh, Anna…” Bulda swept the teen into one of her signature hugs, and though this one was just as tight, it was also gentle. “Is this why you’ve been so distracted lately?”

Another set of arms wrapped securely around Anna. “We love you, kiddo.” It was Cliff, his massive form almost eclipsing Bluda as he joined in on the hug. “We can figure this out together.”

A hand landed gently on Anna’s shoulder. Grand Pabbie gave her a reassuring pat. “Come sit down with us, Anna,” he said. “Tell us everything we need to know. We want to help.”

Anna couldn’t help the sob that wrenched its way out of her throat. The tears came fast, and for once Anna just let them, sinking into the embrace of her family as they comforted her. She felt at ease. She felt safe. All the worst-case scenarios that had been flooding Anna’s mind drained away, leaving only the warmth and love that had been buried there the whole time.

“Thank you,” Anna mumbled once her tears began to slow. “I’m sorry I kept it a secret. I was just so…”

“It’s okay, Anna,” Bulda said as the teen trailed off. “We understand.”

The hug disbanded, and Anna wiped the tears from her eyes. _‘Jeez, I’ve been such a crybaby lately,’_ she thought, settling onto the couch. Bulda joined her on one side and Cliff on the other, and Pabbie returned to his recliner. As Anna started to fill them in on everything - how Elsa noticed, Dr. Thibaut and her testing, the two diagnoses she’s received - she felt a great deal of burden dissipating from her shoulders. Cliff, Bulda, and Pabbie listened well and took turns reading the packet, offering kind words and suggestions here and there.

Surrounded by their support in a way that still surprised her, even after being with them for almost four years, Anna was once again reminded of how lucky she was to have her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand I'm back!
> 
> Some terminology for anyone who doesn’t know:  
> >At-risk youth/teens refers to kids who need some sort of intervention in order to succeed academically.  
> >A 504 plan is basically a sort of game plan for accommodating an individual student’s needs in school - it outlines what changes can be made in a classroom setting in order to make learning (with a learning disability or mental illness) easier. Also it’s pronounced ‘five-oh-four’, not ‘five hundred and four’.  
> >Dyscalculia is like Dyslexia, but in regards to math, numbers, and math related facts/learning.
> 
> I'm going to be honest with you all: part of the reason I took so long on this one is the current issues with police brutality and the resulting protests. I feel a little guilty posting right now, knowing how shitty things are, but I want to continue to provide you all with something nice to focus on when things feel dark. Much like with Covid-19 I won't be bringing it up again, but I will say now that I support the Black Lives Matter movement and police defunding. I myself am white, but my significant other is black, and I can't tell you how terrifying it is knowing that one day, it might be their name on the news; with that in mind, I cannot even imagine how black people must feel right now. If you're protesting, please be careful and stay safe out there.
> 
> Places you can donate to: Black Lives Matter, Black Trans Travel Fund, Know Your Rights Camp, Innocence Project, Black Womens Blueprint
> 
> Petitions you can sign: https://www.bleumag.com/2020/06/03/30-blm-petitions-you-should-sign-right-now/
> 
> ~Nopes


	13. Chapter 11 (Elsa): 504

**Chapter 11 (Elsa): 504**

“Bishop to G3.”

Two taps of his fingers, and a click of his tongue. Marshall moved his piece across the board, claiming Elsa’s knight smoothly. He placed the polished white figure next to his other prisoners of war, making sure it was aligned perfectly with its brothers.

The siblings sat cross-legged on the living room floor. Marshall always preferred the floor to any sort of actual furniture - more room for him to fidget and move, Elsa figured - so it had become a regular spot for their chess games over the years. Afternoon sunlight streamed in from the open bay windows, brightening the room with warm, white light. Two empty bowls that once held mac and cheese rested on the coffee table beside the siblings, their chess board having been relocated from said table to the carpet.

Elsa hadn’t looked at the clock in a while, but she was sure they’d been playing for over an hour by that point; despite that, however, neither side had many casualties. Her eyes swept the board, mentally noting the imminent threats that Marshall’s pieces posed. Nothing jumped out at her as an immediate danger - a knight was aligned to take her one of her own knights should she move it to take his queen and his king was sequestered away in a far corner of the board, guarded closely by his other rook - so she made her choice quickly.

“Queen to G3,” she smirked, grabbing Marshall’s bishop.

Marshall tilted his head, his long, colorless bangs swishing slightly at the movement. His massive form was almost comical with the way it was hunched over the little black-and-white pieces on the board; puberty had made him some sort of giant, though he still had those wide, curious eyes and soft features.

“Pawn to G3.” His face remained stoic as always, but there was an amused tint in Marshall’s eyes as he took Elsa’s queen.

Elsa’s eyebrows shot up. “How’d I miss that?” she wondered aloud.

“You always underestimate the pawns.” Two taps, then a click. Marshall watched Elsa make her turn - opting to move one of her own bishops to a more defensive position - and offered a rare smile. “You forget about them if they haven’t been moved yet.”

“Pawns are easy to forget about,” she countered with a chuckle. “Especially when there’s an opportunity to take a more valuable piece.”

“That statement is subjective.”

“Fair enough.”

Their game continued in relative silence, only broken as they called their moves. Another half an hour quickly ticked by. Marshall’s skill rivaled Elsa’s own, making each match they held a close battle. Observancy clearly ran in the family - if not, then Elsa and Marshall were incredibly blessed with their astute perceptiveness. That made it easy to tell that they were siblings, even if they were physically rather different. Marshall’s gigantic figure, dark eyes, and mid-toned hair were a stark contrast to Elsa’s slender limbs, her crystalline eyes, and her almost white locks, but they shared the same quick eyes and sharp minds, a perfect combination of their mother’s intuitive nature and their father’s quick wit.

Piece by piece, move by move, the game eventually drew to a close. “Checkmate,” Marshall declared, moving his piece into place. He had Elsa’s king cornered between his remaining rook and - of course - two of his pawns.

Elsa whistled. “Good game, as always,” she said with a grin, running a hand through her bangs.

The only response she got was a grunt, her brother already preoccupied with resetting the board to its proper order. With a smile, Elsa grabbed their empty bowls from lunch and took them to the kitchen.

It was nice, Elsa thought, to be able to spend more time with Marshall.  _ ‘Everything’s just been so hectic with school,’ _ she mused absently, placing the bowls in the sink and turning on the tap.  _ ‘I haven’t really had the time to hang out with him. Or Mama and Papa, for that matter.’ _ She mentally made a note to do something nice with her parents sometime soon as she scrubbed away the remaining food residue. Now that the first month of school was done, things were starting to calm down. Perhaps they could go riding together? It had been far too long since Elsa visited the stables.

She had just rinsed out the remaining soapy bubbles when the front door opened.

“Hey there, kids!”

Elsa heard their father greet them from foyer as she placed the bowls in the dishwasher. Marshall gave him a grunt, and the sound of footsteps joined her in the kitchen.

“Hey Elsie.” Agnarr grunted as he hefted several bags of groceries - probably far too many for one man to carry alone - into the room, dropping them unceremoniously on the floor by the pantry.

“Hi Papa.” Elsa wiped her still-damp hands on her jeans, then turned to give her father a hug. “Need any help with the groceries?”

“That’d be great,” he said, giving Elsa a pat on the shoulder as he pulled away. “You start putting stuff away, I’ll go and grab the rest from the car.”

“You know, you can take more than one trip,” Elsa called after Agnarr as he started back to the car. A faint “no thanks!” was his response, followed by the sound of the door closing, and Elsa chuckled. She started to unload their reusable bags, placing things in their proper place in the pantry or refrigerator. Agnarr soon joined her, once again carrying way too many bags, and set them down with the rest before moving to help Elsa.

The two chatted as they did the job, bouncing from topic to topic. Agnarr told Elsa of the new project he and his team were undertaking at the labs, and Elsa talked about her classes’ excellent performance on the last quiz. The rhythm they fell into was as familiar as it was comforting, and Elsa allowed herself to relax into the feeling of simply… existing. It was quiet moments like these that broke her out of the unrelenting whirlwind that her life often was, and reminded her of the importance those small moments held. The sounds of the T.V. came lightly from around the corner, and Marshall could be heard mumbling along with the weather channel. Iduna was still out, likely finishing up one of the weekend riding lessons she hosted, and Agnarr was humming something cheerful under his breath.

The warmth that surrounded her was nothing new, but it never failed to bring a smile to her face and a calm to her heart.

Moments couldn’t last forever, though, and soon the soft ambience was broken by the ringing of Elsa’s cell phone. She took a quick glance at the caller ID. “I have to take this,” Elsa said, putting the box of cereal she was holding into the pantry. She gave her father another quick hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too, snowflake. See you for dinner?”

“Sure thing.”

And with that, Elsa left, only pausing to affectionately ruffle her brother’s hair before taking to the stairs and answering her phone.

“Hey there, Queenie.”

The voice that greeted her was unmistakable. “Hey, Esmé!” Elsa closed her bedroom door behind her and flopped backwards onto her bed. “Glad you could call me back. I wanted to properly thank you for helping Anna the other day.”

“It was no problem, really. Anything for an old friend.” Esméralda’s voice was smooth, despite the grainy effect from Elsa’s phone. Elsa could hear the smile in her voice. “And besides, now we’re even.”

“What, for the bar thing?” Elsa shook her head. Then, when she realized her friend couldn’t actually see the movement, she spoke again. “I told you that was no problem. I wasn’t just-”

“Yeah, yeah, you weren’t just gonna sit there and watch some chick get roofied, I know. That doesn’t change the fact that I appreciate what you did.” Esméralda then chuckled. “Also, it was fucking hilarious watching that guy drug himself.”

Elsa allowed herself a laugh, thinking back to the whole ordeal.

It had been an interesting night. The bar was crowded, Elsa had lost the friend she’d come with, and she was right in the middle of vowing to never leave her house again when she saw Esméralda at the bar. Her face had been familiar, at the time - as they later realized, they shared the same psychology 102 course - and she looked quite uncomfortable with the older dude who was clearly flirting with her.

_ ‘That jerk got what was coming to him,’ _ Elsa thought, recalling the way he slipped the nondescript pill into Esméralda’s drink. It had been all too easy to stumble over, to crash in between Esméralda and the creep as though she’d had one too many, to switch their drinks with a wink at Esmé as the man remained none the wiser until he’d already downed the whole thing.

They were fast friends, from there.

The two chatted for a bit, taking the time to catch up. At some point, she got up from her bed, choosing to pace the room while they talked. Chatting with Esméralda was always a treat, and Elsa couldn’t help but feel that she’d get along well with Mulan. Maybe she’d introduce them, someday.

Eventually, Esméralda had to go, leaving Elsa to stop pacing and take a seat at her desk. Opening her laptop, Elsa decided to check her email. She was hoping Anna would message her. Technically, she didn’t have to answer emails on the weekend, but she’d gladly make an exception for the girl that was quickly becoming her favorite student.

Sure enough, there was a message from Anna in her inbox.

_ [From: anna.banana.sobelman@xmail.com, Today at 1:03p.m.] _

_ Hi Ms. Andersen, _

_ Kristoff is writing this for me so that it’s actually readable. I just wanted to let you know that I told my family about the dyslexia stuff. They took it very well and they’re interested in working with the school to get a 504 plan in place. Do you know who I would talk to about that? _

Elsa smiled as she read the email. Her fingers graced the keyboard, quickly typing out a response.

_ [To: anna.banana.sobelman@xmail.com, Today at 5:54p.m.] _

_ Good to hear from you, Anna! It’s good you told them, I’m glad things went well. _

_ Normally, you would talk to the school guidance counselor regarding a 504 plan. You can reach him at johan.oaken@xmail.edu. _

_ You’ll have to meet with him in person, along with a parent. _

She hit send, leaning back in her chair comfortably. To Elsa’s surprise, a reply came almost immediately.

_ [From: anna.banana.sobelman@xmail.com, Today at 5:55p.m.] _

_ Awesome! We’ll get that sorted. _

_ See you in class tomorrow <3 _

Elsa raised an eyebrow.

_ [From: anna.banana.sobelman@xmail.com, Today at 5:55p.m.] _

_ sorry kristoff aded the hart pls ignore that _

Elsa snorted. Yeah, that made more sense. She was about to respond when her mother’s voice came from downstairs.

“Elsa, come help set the table!”

_ ‘Huh.’ _ Elsa glanced at the clock in the bottom corner of her computer. She’d been on the phone with her friend for longer than she’d thought. She typed out a quick message and hit ‘send,’ getting up from her seat and closing the laptop lightly.

_ [To: anna.banana.sobelman@xmail.com, Today at 5:56p.m.] _

_ No worries. See you tomorrow :) _

**0-0-0-0-0**

Elsa’s heels clicked loudly across the tile floors as she walked towards the front office. The school was rather empty; and, being that it was hardly 6:45 in the morning, that was completely understandable. Elsa herself usually got to school by around 7, so it wasn’t much earlier than her usual arrival time.

Stifling a yawn, Elsa turned onto the main hall. She was starting to get used to navigating the maze-like halls of Arendelle High, the last month of school having been good practice.

Through the doors to the main office and down another hall, and soon Elsa found herself at her destination.  _ ‘Conference Room B,’ _ read the placard by the door. She pushed the door open, stepping into the rather plain room beyond.

“Ah, Elsa Andersen.” Vanessa Ursula sat at the head of the single, long table in the center of the room. Her makeup, while heavy, was immaculate and her short hair was styled in a way that made it look like she was perpetually underwater - an odd style choice, yes, but no one was foolish enough to point that out to her. “It’s good to see you,” she said, although her expression suggested it was anything but.

“And you as well,” Elsa responded, forcing a plastic smile. She didn’t like the way Ursula said her name; all slithery and low, as though the woman had some sort of devious plan that Elsa wasn’t privy to.

Luckily, she was saved from any further conversation with the rather unpleasant woman.

Johan Oaken pushed open the door. “Hoo-hoo!” he greeted, giving a little wave and a smile as he shuffled into the room.

A genuine smile replaced Elsa’s fake one. “Hello, Johan!”

“Elsa!” Oaken crossed the room. He was wearing a comfy-looking sweater, one that Elsa was fairly certain she’d seen Aksel in at some point. In his hands was a manila folder and several papers, but they didn’t stop him from sweeping Elsa into a tight bear hug. “Aksel says you haven’t been around the caf é  as often. Schoolwork kept you busy?”

“Just a little!” Elsa squeaked as she was lifted a few inches off the ground.  _ ‘He and his family always were the huggy type,’ _ she thought, patting the ginormous man on the back. She thought she heard Ursula scoff from somewhere beside her, and though she couldn’t see the woman, Elsa was certain she was rolling her eyes.

He set Elsa back down, and with perfect timing too. She had just enough time to straighten out her blouse before the door opened once again.

Bright eyes, colorless but still somehow vibrant, were the first thing Elsa saw when she turned. Those familiar twin braids, which framed her round, freckled cheeks, were messily done, as though the girl had rushed to put them together on the car ride in. Her black shirt, her torn jeans, and of course, her signature jacket; Anna was here, and Elsa found her smiling growing exponentially.

The rest of the picture filled in, reminding Elsa that, no, Anna was not the only person arriving. Kristoff was holding the door open, allowing her to enter the room alongside an older gentleman with a cane.

“Hoo-hoo! My name is Johan Oaken.” Oaken took the man’s hand eagerly, shaking it with a broad smile. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

Ursula was next, not allowing the man to speak before introducing herself. “I am Vanessa Ursula, Arendelle Highschool’s principal.” She rose from her chair, her expression the picture of judgement as she extended her hand across the table. “And you are…?”

“Pablo Stenberg,” the man filled in, taking the proffered hand. “I’m Anna’s legal guardian.”

…

Oh.

Legal guardian.

_ Oh. _

Elsa had to resist the urge to facepalm right then and there. Of course: Anna was a foster, and Elsa was an idiot. She was mentally kicking herself - she had  _ definitely _ mentioned parents on multiple occasions - but it made sense, and despite being a shock it definitely explained a few things.

“Hm.” Ursula squinted. Clearly she had come to the same conclusion, given the expression of utter distaste she held; something that made Elsa frown.

Elsa decided this was a good point to interject. “Hi.” She extended a hand to Pablo, keeping her tone friendly to counterbalance Ursula’s sour disposition. “I’m Elsa Andersen, Anna’s math teacher.”

At this, the man’s eyes brightened. “Ah, it’s wonderful to finally meet you!” Though his handshake was firm, his expression held only warmth. He smiled, something he did a lot if the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were any indication. “Anna’s told me so much about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” Elsa responded with a laugh in her voice. Poor Anna looked like she was hoping the floor would swallow her, a dark grey blush shading her cheeks.

Ursula cleared her throat. “Why don’t we all take a seat,” she suggested, sitting back in her chair. “We’re still waiting on one more. Then, we can start.”

Elsa bit the bullet and took the seat to Ursula’s left. She met Johan’s eyes, and the man nodded subtly as he took the seat to Usula’s right. Elsa was glad he got the message. She didn’t want Anna or Pablo to have to sit too close to the intimidating older woman.

Kristoff hovered in the doorway as Pablo and Anna sat beside the guidance counsellor. “Uh, d’you want me to stay, Anna?” He glanced nervously from the principal to his friend -  _ ‘… or, are they foster siblings?’ _ \- shuffling on his feet. “Y’know, for uh… moral support?”

Anna shook her head. “It’s fine. Go and meet up with Merida, she’s probably already in the cafeteria.”

“Cool, cool.” The boy looked relieved. “See you later.” He shouldered his bag, offering a small smile before he disappeared, letting the door close after him with a click.

It was quiet for a beat.

Then, Anna spoke up.

“So, uh, who else is going to be here?” She fidgeted in her seat, playing absentmindedly with one of her braids. “Are all of my teachers gonna show up?”

“No.” The principal sneered, as though being asked a question was a major inconvenience for her. Her words had a bite to them that was completely unnecessary, if you asked Elsa. “As I said before, we’re only waiting for one more person.”

“Teachers can attend if they have an opening in their schedule,” Elsa cut in, shooting a look at Ursula. “But their attendance isn’t required. If I remember correctly, we’re just waiting on-”

She was cut off by the door flying open for a final time, hitting the wall with a bang.

“Duke Weselton, at your service!”

The man that stood before them now was nothing short of comical. Elsa had never seen him before, but she knew his name from the email chain that Johan had sent out regarding the meeting, as he was the only other teacher who had offered to show. His clothes, particularly the navy blue tailcoat with ridiculous shoulder pads, looked like they wouldn’t be out of place in a museum. That, combined with his silver hair, bushy mustache, and wire-frame glasses made him look like he’d just stepped out of a history textbook.

Next to Elsa, Ursula pinched the bridge of her nose. “Hello, Duke.” Her voice was filled with barely-restrained annoyance. “Please, have a seat.”

Mr. Weselton crossed the room, the tails of his coat flourishing behind him. He stopped next to Elsa and, oh boy, took the seat next to her.

“Hmm…” The man peered at her through his wire-rimmed glasses. “So  _ this _ is Arendelle High’s most mysterious new teacher!”

“Um.” Elsa leaned back, trying to regain some personal space. She got the distinct feeling that she was being assessed, though to what criteria, she was unsure. “Er, hi?” She spared a glance across the table, accidentally catching Anna’s gaze in the process.

Anna looked like she was trying not to laugh. She and Pablo had identical expressions of amusement on their faces and, if Elsa hadn’t just learned the contrary, she would have thought that Anna inherited those laughing eyes and soft dimples from him. The girl raised an eyebrow at Elsa, tactfully hiding her grin behind a hand. ‘Get a load of this guy,’ her expression seemed to say, and Elsa almost laughed.

“It’s an honor to finally meet you!” Whatever impression Weselton had gotten, he seemed to be satisfied with. He grabbed her hand, shaking it far more enthusiastically than he likely needed to.

His attention span, however, seemed to be as lacking as his hairline, for he quickly dropped her hand and shifted his owlish gaze to Anna. “Ah! Anna Sobelman,” he exclaimed, like he’d only just noticed Anna’s presence. “My favorite student! When Johan informed me of this meeting, I must say, I was thrilled. Education, after all, is the most important thing in a young one’s life, and I can only imagine that a- now, what was it called? Well, the er-  _ thing _ , you know, the one we’re talking about, I can only imagine is an excellent way to-”

“Mr. Weselton,  _ please _ do stop talking.” Ursula, Elsa thought, really looked like she could use an aspirin. “I’m a very busy woman and I haven’t got all day, so save your incessant prattle for  _ after _ the meeting.”

Weselton blinked. “Hm!” He didn’t seem at all offended by Ursula’s short temper. In fact, Elsa wasn’t quite sure that he even knew what was going on. “Very well!”

Ursula sighed, clasping her hands atop the table. “Now, then.” She gestured vaguely to Oaken. “Johan, if you will.”

The guidance counsellor cleared his throat, shuffling his papers. “So,” he began, “as I’m sure you’re all aware, today we will be discussing the implementation of a 504 plan for Ms. Sobelman.” He took one of the papers - a small packet, signed at the bottom with a familiar signature - and set it in the center of the table. “Here, I have a copy of the results of Anna’s recent testing,” he continued. “Dr. Thibaut has confirmed that Anna has dyslexia and recommended the following accommodations.”

As he read the list, Elsa took a quick look across the table. Anna was biting her lower lip, looking every bit as anxious as Elsa expected. Her heart ached for the girl - the girl who, Elsa noted, had likely been through so much already, if Esm è’s stories of her life in the foster system were anything to go by .

Ursula’s steely expression did not change as Oaken finished reading the list. “Is all of this,” she gestured to Dr. Thibaut’s list, “really necessary? Plenty of students, just about all of them I’d say, get along just fine without all of these… additions.”

“Well, Anna is a special case,” Johan explained. “Students with learning disabilities-”

“Anna’s situation is unfortunate,” Ursula interrupted. “Certainly, it is, but she’s lasted this long without these kinds of  _ handouts. _ Why should the school waste money and resources on a student who has never truly needed them before?”

Anyone who knew Elsa knew that she was not the type to anger easily. She had always been level headed and even tempered. Even in high school, where people were arguably less mature than they would be given several years' time, it was Rapunzel who was the passionate one, and Eugene who was the quickest to jump to a fight. Elsa, though, she was always cool and quiet. Icy, to be sure, and sometimes rather aloof; never truly angry.

But oh, how Ursula made her blood boil.

_ ‘Insufferable,’ _ Elsa thought. That’s what this woman was, with her pompous frown and hurtful words, the very ones that made Anna wither in her seat with an embarrassed flush. The teen was already uncomfortable with everything about the situation she was in, couldn’t Ursula see that? Or was she just so terrible that she liked watching others suffer? Elsa wanted to reach across the table, to offer Anna some comfort - and then to slap that positively evil look off Ursula’s face - but before the rest of her mind could catch up with that particular train of thought, Pablo spoke.

“If I may, Miss Ursula,” he started, frowning at the principal. “Just because Anna has managed without any accommodations in the past, that doesn’t mean she should have to do so in the future. She deserves the ability to not just to get by in school, but to thrive, and right now, she doesn’t have that.”

“I suppose, but-”

It was Elsa’s turn to interrupt.

“Pablo is absolutely correct,” she said, hoping the seething anger she felt didn’t leak into her voice. “Quite frankly, the fact that Anna has managed to keep herself afloat for so long without help is nothing short of astonishing. That’s a testament to her strength, to be sure, but the fact of the matter is, she could be doing so much better with just a few small adjustments. She’s nowhere near her full potential, and not only is it cruel to keep her from reaching it, it’s also illegal to deny students this kind of aid when they are eligible.”

There was a beat of silence. Elsa forced herself to take a breath before she said anything unprofessional - well, anything  _ more _ unprofessional.  _ ‘I hope I’ll still have a job here, next year,’ _ she thought, definitely not missing the utterly furious look on Ursula’s face.

When the silence had stretched for too long, Elsa decided to try her luck one last time. “Vanessa,” she said, calmer now, “I know how this sort of neurodivergency works. Anna is exactly the kind of student that I’ve been trained to help, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that a 504 plan is the best course of action.”

Another moment of quiet. A deeper scowl directed at Elsa as Ursula narrowed her eyes.

Elsa met her gaze evenly. She would not be intimidated into backing down, not when a student’s schooling depended on it.

Maybe Ursula had a heart in there, after all. Or, maybe she was just tired of the back and forth. Elsa suspected the latter, but either way, Ursula finally relented.

“Fine,” she sapt, looking like she’d very much enjoy having Elsa’s head above her mantlepiece. “But she is your responsibility. Her performance is now indicative of the both of you.”

If I find out that this is all just a bunch of balderdash, there will be consequences. I’ll be keeping an eye on you two.”

If looks could kill, then the staredown Elsa and Ursula were having would be downright murderous. The silence that hung in the air was heavy, weighted by Ursula’s menacing promise. It was a powermove, one surely made solely to fuel her megalomania and to keep Elsa in place, but Elsa did not feel threatened.

In fact, she was sure that Ursula miscalculated.

Those kinds of flimsy scare tactics only worked if Elsa didn’t have faith in her student. In Elsa’s mind, however, there wasn’t even a shadow of a doubt.

She knew that Anna was something extraordinary.

“Well!”

Everyone was startled when Weselton clapped his hands together. Elsa had almost forgotten the man was there, his silence seemingly uncharacteristic.

“I, for one, think this has been a rather productive meeting, indeed!” His beady eyes flickered from Elsa to Anna, then back again. “Congratulations on your 405 plan, Anna. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

With that, Weselton stood, his tailcoat swishing as he exited the room.

Weselton’s outburst seemed to have broken the spell that Ursula cast, the tension somewhat alleviated. Johan cleared his throat, once again shuffling through his papers. “Well, I suppose that’s that, then! Anna will receive the accommodations recommended by Dr. Thibaut.” He looked to Elsa, giving her a small smile. “As a specialist, Elsa, is there anything else you’d recommend?”

“At the moment, no,” she responded, returning Oaken’s smile. That was his quiet way of supporting her; affirming that, whether Ursula liked it or not, Elsa was an authority on this subject. “If anything comes to mind, I’ll be sure to bring it up.”

The rest of the meeting went smoothly, despite the general uncooperativeness of the principal. Johan went into a bit more detail on the implementation of the 504 plan, then Elsa took the lead in explaining the reasoning behind each accommodation her friend recommended. Pretty soon, it was time to sign off on the papers, which Oaken produced after looking through his papers for a minute or so.

Elsa was the first to sign her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, FINALLY finished this chapter! ngl I was hit with some real bad writers block for this one, but I finally managed to get something passable written out.
> 
> Hope y'all are well!
> 
> ~Nopes


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